


The Glitch Pages: Blazing the Path

by ShootingStarfruit



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: FireRed & LeafGreen | Pokemon FireRed & LeafGreen Versions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-22 12:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30038796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShootingStarfruit/pseuds/ShootingStarfruit
Summary: One is a sickly teen just starting out on his Pokémon adventure. The other is a boy who is starting over after a humiliating loss. Both meet each other one fateful day in Pallet Town and decide to travel together across the vast Kanto region. But there's one catch - neither of them are normal. Travel alongside Zero and Mark as they discover things about themselves and Pokémon.





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Beginning of an Adventure

The sound of galloping hooves and the smell of smoke could be sensed from Zero's room on the second floor of the Cinnabar Island Gym, his father's Gym. Zero could always tell when Rapidash, his father's ace Pokémon, was being used. He smiled and snuck downstairs to watch the battle, which had been going on for almost half an hour now. He sat on the bleachers next to the air conditioner, watching the judge's every move.

Zero saw his father, the Gym Leader Blaine, look up at the bleachers for a moment and smile. He grinned back. Blaine then yelled, "Why don't ya come down closer to the battlefield, sonny? You'll get a better view from there! An' say hello to yer old friend, Lt. Surge." Across the field from Blaine was a middle-aged man, in his mid-forties, with jagged blonde hair and a camouflage army outfit. The man waved, as did his Raichu. Zero went down a few steps and sat near the middle, still in range of the air vent.

Blaine nodded. "I get it. You just wanted some cool air."

"And I wanted to watch," Zero claimed, laughing. He climbed down the rest of the stairs and walked over to Lt. Surge. "Nice to see you again, Surge. Welcome back to Cinnabar."

Surge shook Zero's hand firmly. "It's always a pleasure to visit you and your old man. You sure have grown since I last saw you!"

Zero nodded shyly. "Dad said I might be able to get a Pokémon soon, as well."

"You're definitely old enough." He looked at Blaine, a bit confused. "Isn't he fifteen, Blaine? He should've been out of your hair four years ago!"

Blaine's cheerful demeanor faded. "He had gotten almost fatally ill three years before, when he was eight. I didn't wanna take any chances so I waited a few extra years. He's about ready now, though. He's been sick, but not as badly."

Surge seemed to understand. "After our little sparring match here, you should talk to Zero about potentially giving him a Pokémon."

Zero's eyes lit up as he looked at his father for approval. Blaine sighed. "Alright, Zero, if you think you can handle a Pokémon, I guess I have no choice but to give you one. And while you're out and about, I might as well have you retrieve my Ditto from the Daycare on Route 5. I'll be right back, sonny."

"See, kid? Your dad isn't too hard to persuade," Surge said, clapping Zero on the shoulder.

Blaine returned to the battlefield with a Poké Ball in his hand. He gave it to Zero, who took it gratefully. The teenager then pointed the ball to the ground and opened it. Out popped a little orange lizard with a flame on its tail—a Charmander. Zero's face lit up as bright as the little Pokémon's tail, and he embraced his father tightly. "Thank you so much, Dad! This means so much to me..."

"We'll say our true goodbyes once I finish this battle with ol' Surge, sonny. Ya still wanna watch?" Blaine said.

"Of course I do!" Zero replied, and he walked back over to the bleachers with his brand new friend. Rapidash and Raichu faced each other once again, and the judge signaled for the battle to continue.

"Rapidash! Use Fire Blast!" Blaine roared. The fiery horse whinnied and galloped up to Raichu, then let loose a giant star of fire. The blast knocked Raichu back, and the mouse winced, clearly in pain. The fire had burned it, lowering its attack power.

Surge grit his teeth. "Raichu! Thunder!" Sparks formed in the mouse's cheeks, and a large flux of electricity ran across the battlefield, hitting Rapidash right in the face. The fiery horse whinnied, but the attack did not seem to do much.

"Crap," Surge hissed through his teeth; a mere whisper, but it was loud enough for Zero to hear. Blaine then ordered Rapidash to use Megahorn, but Raichu dodged the attack, and Rapidash stumbled forward, his horn sticking into the ground.

Surge was confident once again. "Raichu! Thunder Punch!" he yelled, and Raichu obeyed instantly. His fist glowed bright with lightning, and he punched Rapidash hard in the flank. The Pokémon responded aggressively, kicking Raichu with his strong hind legs. Raichu cried out and flew backwards, hitting the wall behind Blaine. Rapidash then wiggled out of the ground and dizzily faced his opponent again. Raichu had plodded back to the battlefield, but he promptly collapsed to the ground, having fainted.

The judge held up a flag on Blaine's side of the field and said, "And the winner is Blaine of Cinnabar Island!" Both Trainers returned their Pokémon to their respective Poké Balls.

"Good battle, boy," Blaine commended, shaking his opponent's hand. "That'll be one for the books, for sure. Thanks for stopping by."

"Thanks for having me, sir," Surge said. He grinned and beckoned Zero over. The boy got up, and his little Charmander followed close behind. As the battle's course had gone on, he had decided to name his Charmander Braze.

Blaine looked at his son. "Are you sure you're really ready for an adventure, sonny?"

"I promise, I'll be careful if I go out. I'll take my medicine with me, and my inhaler. And Braze will help keep me warm. And I'll get an Ice type too, just in case!" Zero replied eagerly.

"Alright boy, slow down," Blaine said, chuckling. "You can head back to Vermillion with Surge, and then you're on your own. Alright with that?"

"Y-yeah, I'll be alright," Zero stammered. Spots were forming before his eyes, and he shook them away. "Are you ready, Surge?"

"Sure thing, Zero," he replied. "See you around, Blaine."

"Thanks for agreeing to take 'im, Surge. Make sure he's okay, will ya?"

"Of course."

"Bye, Dad! I'll come back to visit!" Zero exclaimed. He then went up to his room and packed his raggedy backpack, and left the Gym with Surge. The double doors slammed shut, leaving Blaine alone.

"I just hope that boy doesn't get 'imself hurt," Blaine said, then walked off.

The only sound reverberating around the room was the faint echo of the Gym Leader's final words.

.

"This is where we part," Surge said, stopping in front of the Vermillion City Gym. "Sorry, bud, but you've gotta continue on your own. I recommend heading down to Pallet Town, so you can meet Professor Oak. He'll give you a PokéDex so you can obtain info on all of Kanto's Pokémon. From there, you can choose where you wanna go."

"Hey wait, if I should go to Pallet Town, then why couldn't we just take the ferry to there instead of to Vermillion?" Zero asked.

"Unfortunately, the water route to Pallet Town was closed today. There's said to be a swarm of Gyarados blocking the way, so they had to close it down so some Ace Trainers and the Cerulean City Gym Leader could take it down. Sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Surge said sheepishly.

"It's fine," Zero said. "It'll be nice to get some fresh air."

"I bet," Surge replied. "Say, do you plan on taking the Gym Challenge?"

"Not really… B-but don't tell my dad!" Zero said hastily, blushing. "I don't want him knowing, especially because I'm supposed to take over the Gym someday…"

"I getcha, buddy. I won't tell a soul."

"Thanks… I'll see you soon! Thanks for taking me here."

"Of course. Safe travels!" Surge said.

Zero walked through the maze of a city, amazed. He had not been to such a large space before, and he was quite overwhelmed. Sweet-smelling bakeries, bustling shops and hundreds of people filled the lovely Vermillion City. He was almost tempted to stay longer, but he was determined to follow Surge's advice and meet the Pokémon professor.

A cave soon caught the boy's eye: "Diglett Cave!" said the sign next to it. "A shortcut to Pewter City is ahead! Be careful, and don't step on a Diglett by accident!" He looked at his map, then back at the cave. Pewter was pretty close to Pallet Town. Zero shrugged and beckoned Braze to follow him through the tunnel. The Charmander squeaked, and his tail glowed bright, simulating a flashlight. The two newfound friends cautiously took a few steps in, careful not to tread on any unsuspecting Pokémon.

The cave was dark and smelled strongly of mold. Zero wrinkled his nose at the dry, pungent odor and continued walking. Braze trotted along cheerfully behind his Trainer, chirping and squeaking happily. But soon, silence came, and the two stopped in their tracks. Ahead was a strange shadow, formless and pitch-black in the dark cavern.

"Who's that Pokémon?" Zero whispered to himself. Braze clutched Zero's pant leg and growled at the figure in front of them.

Then, the shape attacked. Zero lept back, and Braze charged at the shadow with a Scratch attack. It did not seem to do much. The creature then used Sucker Punch as Braze was readying an Ember attack, as it had read the Charmander's movements. Braze then launched a tiny ball of flame at the creature, and for a split second, Zero saw the brown skin and pink nose of a Diglett. Upon closer inspection with Braze's tail, however, the Trainer realized, with horror, that it was a Dugtrio, Diglett's evolved form!

"Be careful, Braze. This thing's evolved, and it probably has a super effective move," Zero warned. The Charmander nodded and braced himself for another attack. The Dugtrio uttered a low grumble and hit Braze with an Earthquake. The cave floor rumbled under Zero's feet, and rocks fell from the ceiling. Braze yelped in pain as he was hit mercilessly. The Charmander then recovered and raked the Dugtrio's face with his claws.

This was their chance. Dugtrio was recovering from the attack, and the cave exit was ahead. Determined to make it out alive, and filled with adrenaline, Zero grabbed Braze and made an escape for the light at the end of the tunnel. The Dugtrio attempted to chase after them, but it failed, gave up and burrowed back into the ground.

Zero and Braze ran as fast as the could, and after what felt like hours the two exited the cave and were officially in Pewter City. Zero's chest heaved, shooting pain coming with every inhale. He wasn't used to running for so long. He fished his inhaler out of his backpack and took a long draw of the medicine then walked toward the Pokémon Center with his partner. As he exhaled, he looked up at the sky and noticed the sun was setting. It had been a long day.

"Welcome to the Pokémon Center!" said the nurse as the automatic doors opened. "What can I do for you, young man?"

"Could you please heal my Pokémon?" Zero asked, showing Braze to the nurse.

She nodded. "Of course. Would you like to stay overnight? It's getting late."

"That would be nice. Thanks," Zero replied. "Um… do you…"

"No, no payment," the nurse said as Zero fished some money out of his pocket. "Pokémon Trainers are always welcome to stay the night for free. May I see your Trainer's License?"

"Heh… I actually don't have one yet. I'm going to Professor Oak so I can register to be an official Trainer and get a PokéDex," Zero said sheepishly.

The nurse looked shocked, but she nodded in understanding. "Okay, then. In that case, it will only cost you ten Poké for one night here."

Zero took a ten-Poké note and handed it to the nurse. The machine Braze was in for healing then beeped, and the nurse handed him back to Zero. "Have a good rest," she said, smiling. "By the way, my name is Nurse Joy. I can't believe I forgot to introduce myself!" Joy blushed, embarrassed.

"I'm Zero. Pleasure to meet you."

"Anyways, I have some work to do. Here's your room key, Room 15."

"Thank you, ma'am," Zero said as he and Braze went upstairs to their room.

Joy put a hand to her face subconsciously as the boy disappeared. "Ma'am? Am I really that old?"

.

Zero checked out of the Pokémon Center and left the next morning. Viridian City was ahead, and beyond that, his destination. He felt a bit sluggish, but continued on nonetheless.

The journey to Viridian was uneventful. On their way, they had passed through Viridian Forest, which was south of Pewter. It was full of bug Pokémon that Braze picked off easily whenever Zero ran into one. As the day dragged on, the two friends approached Viridian City slowly. They entered the big metropolis just as the sun was setting. The next morning, Pallet Town was finally within their sights.

"We're finally here," Zero said, but no sound came out of his mouth—only a faint whisper. He coughed, clearing his airways of phlegm, and proceeded to find Professor Oak's lab.

"Good morning," said an old man as the double doors to the lab opened. "How may I help you, young man?"

"Are you the professor, by any chance?" Zero asked. Braze was squirming in Zero's arms and trying to reach his Poké Ball. Zero couldn't blame him; it had been a long trip. Zero returned the tiny lizard to his ball and turned back to face the man.

"I am. You must be Zero, Blaine's boy. He told me all about you, and I've been expecting you." Zero noticed Professor Oak had a warm, kind smile. Zero grinned back.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, professor. I'm Zero." Zero stretched his hand out, and Oak grasped it firmly and shook it.

"You already have the Pokémon your father gave you, I would assume, or else the journey from Cinnabar would have been much more difficult. But my grandson just delivered this package to me, with two special devices called PokéDexes. A PokéDex will allow you to easily access all sorts of information on Pokémon you have recently met. Here is one for you, with Charmander already registered for you. I did it manually."

Oak handed Zero a little red pad, with a screen and a few buttons, that flipped open and closed easily. WIth the 'Dex was a card, with Zero's name and a recent photo that he recognized was one taken on his fifteenth birthday.

"Thanks," Zero said cheerfully. The professor also handed him ten Poké Balls so he could go out and catch more teammates for Braze.

As Zero was about to leave, the door slammed open and a boy about Zero's age walked into the laboratory. He was short in stature, slightly overweight and had curly black hair. He walked slowly to the table that held the three starter Pokémon and pointed, almost rudely. "Can I have a Pokémon?"

Zero, dumbfounded, attempted to inch along the wall and escape out the door unnoticed, but the boy glared at him. Zero fished Braze's Poké Ball out of his pocket and put his hands up. His thumb pressed the white button in the center, and Braze the Charmander came out. The boy, surprised at this sudden movement, reached for the first Poké Ball on the table. Braze knocked the sphere out of his hand, and he stepped back, wincing in pain, as he had been burned. The orb landed on its white button, and a tiny Bulbasaur emerged from it. The Bulbasaur quaked in fear as the overweight boy reached out to touch her.

As the boy grazed the little Bulbasaur with the back of his hand, she reached out blindly with her vines and started whipping Braze in the face. The Charmander squeaked and started scratching Bulbasaur. Eventually, they began swinging wildly at each other, with no specific target in mind. The professor soon took matters into his own hands; he picked up the two Pokémon and set them far away from each other.

"That was the most pathetic excuse for a Pokémon battle I've seen in all my days. Even a Magikarp is able to strike an opponent fast and true," Oak scolded. The boys looked at their feet in shame. "Now take your Pokémon and begin again." The young men looked up, surprised. "Yes, I want you to battle. You'll only get better if you do. Go on, now. Get to it."

"I guess I'll go first," the overweight boy called out, placing the shy Bulbasaur in front of him. "Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!"

Bulbasaur teetered up to Braze on her tiny, stubby legs and slapped Braze in the head with her vines. Braze took the hits nonchalantly and braced himself to attack.

"Braze! Ember!" The Charmander nodded and ignited the poor Bulbasaur's vines. She cried out in pain as the burn spread across her body. She soon started yelping in pain and running around in panic. Distressed and terrified, Zero's opponent fished a Burn Heal out of his bag and spritzed a bit of the medicine onto Bulbasaur. She began to calm down, and then faced her foe once again. Zero noticed her chest heaving and was about to call off the battle, but then the boy spoke.

"Tackle, Bulbasaur!" he said, pointing at Braze.

Bulbasaur hesitated, but obliged and began to charge toward Braze at her top speed, which wasn't very fast, considering how weak she had become after that burn. Braze easily dodged and fought back with a hefty Scratch attack. Bulbasaur grunted in pain and flopped pathetically on the ground.

"That's it then," Oak said. He walked over to Zero and abruptly thrust his arm into the air. "Zero is the winner!"

The other boy had a look on his face that seemed to be a mixture of sadness and anger. His eyes welled up with tears, and his face became a beet-red color. He collected the fainted Bulbasaur in his arms, then walked up to Zero. He pointed right at his nose, causing Zero to look cross-eyed down at the chubby finger in his face. "Listen up, kid. I dunno how you beat me, but I'm an experienced Trainer. You may have had the type advantage, and the old man's Bulbasaur may not have been all that strong, but I still should've won. I can tell you've never battled before. How old are you?"

"F-fifteen," Zero managed, his voice hoarse. He needed something to drink—badly. Keeping hydrated was important, especially in his condition.

The other boy laughed so hard he snorted. "Fifteen? You've gotta be kidding me! You should've been outta here four years ago! I've been a Trainer for four years now! I'm your age, bud." He paused. "Meaning I should've won."

Zero glared at him, now angry. "My dad's a Gym Leader. I've been his apprentice for a while, and I think I have battle experience as well."

The other boy backed down for a moment, a bit flustered. "Sorry, I guess," he muttered. He took a step back, allowing Zero's eyes to refocus, and stuck out his right hand. "The name's Mark. I'm from Littleroot Town in the Hoenn region."

"Zero," Zero replied, shaking Mark's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Professor Oak chuckled and smiled at the young men. "See, that wasn't so hard! A good Pokémon battle can make rivals or friends in a heartbeat. Mark, I'm going to entrust you with that Bulbasaur, if you want her. You seemed like you had a good grip on battling with her."

"Thanks, Professor!" Mark exclaimed, excited. "How do you like the name Tulip?" he asked his new partner. She grunted and smiled shyly.

"Enjoy your adventures, boys. I have some research to do. My grandson just sent me some Muk to examine. And one of them is a rare color, too!" Oak laughed, waved goodbye to Mark and Zero, and disappeared into the back room of his laboratory.

.

Route 1 was just north of the tiny Pallet Town, and Mark and Zero were about to go their separate ways. They had just met, and they had already sworn to battle when they met again.

"You sure you'll be okay?" Zero asked. "You've never been to Kanto, and you don't seem to have a map on you."

"I have my wits and my National 'Dex. I'm sure I'll be fine," Mark replied, swelling with confidence.

"Here's a map anyways," the adamant Zero retorted, shoving a map into his rival's face.

"Jeez, dude, you sound like my old lady," Mark groaned, peeling the large piece of paper off of his face. "Anyways, I'll see you around." Mark waved goodbye, then ran off into the wilderness.

Zero looked at Braze, who had been kept out of his Poké Ball even after his battle with Mark's Bulbasaur, and grinned. "You ready, buddy? It's time to travel this region and fill the PokéDex together."

The two friends then walked into Route 1's tall grass, where a new adventure was just beginning.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: An Unlikely Companion!

Rattata and Oddish were now registered in Zero's PokéDex. He saw the familiar city lights of Viridian City in the distance, but he didn't feel like staying in a hotel that night. Instead, he took out the handy camping manual he had packed for himself, set up a tent and built a fire. Luckily, Braze was there to light it; Zero's physical strength was a bit lacking, and he could not get enough friction built up between the two sticks and the rock he was trying to light it with.

Zero had found some berries along the route for dinner, but he found Braze was still hungry, so they ran into town quickly to pick up some more food. When he and Braze got back to the campsite, however, they discovered that it had been ransacked and the fire had been put out. The tent had little holes ripped in it as well.

"No way! Our tent!" Zero cried. "And the fire, too! I wonder what kind of jerk of a Trainer would do something like that. How rude!"

As Zero was ranting, he felt a tug on his sleeve from Braze. Bewildered, he saw that his Pokémon was pointing at something on the ground behind him. His eyes widened. A little mouse-like creature was sitting there, berry juice covering its mouth. Its tail had a heart-shaped tip, signifying it was a female. Her little red electric sacs sparkled when Zero looked at her, and she giggled playfully. Zero has been greeted by a Pikachu!

This was strange, however. This was Route 1, and Pikachu usually dwelled in Viridian Forest, a long ways away. Why would she have come all the way out here?

"Hey, I bet you were lost and wanted something to eat," Zero said, crouching down to pet the Pikachu. She cowered away from him, and when he tried again, she sent a little shock up his arm.

"I get it, okay? I won't touch you," Zero said, rubbing his tingling arm. Pixels began to form around it, and he shook it out. The pixels stopped. He was used to this; electrical appliances and static shocks often caused this. He knew this wasn't normal and had been to the doctor multiple times for it, but he was never able to pinpoint what was causing it. "How about some Pokémon food? I bought some for my Charmander, but I bet you would enjoy some."

Zero, Braze and the Pikachu all ate a nice dinner as the sky turned a gentle hue of peach. "Hey Pikachu, I just had an idea—how about I take you back to the Viridian Forest? Would that make you happy?"

Pikachu squeaked happily, answering Zero's question. "Great! We should have you back home in a couple days. It's getting kind of dark, and I have to rebuild my tent and my fire, and we have to go through Viridian City and Route 2. I hope that's alright."

.

The moon was rising over the quiet Route 1. The occasional Rattata squeak or Pidgey chirp sounded in the darkness, but it was otherwise silent. Mark saw that Viridian's lights were still on. This didn't surprise him, though; it was a big city, just like Mauville and Lilycove back home in Hoenn.

He then saw a tent sitting in the middle of the route, and a fire burning low. In front of it, sitting near the fire in a heavy coat and coughing mercilessly, was a familiar face—it was Zero! He left way ahead of Mark; he should have been near Route 2 by now! And it was the middle of the night, as well.

"Shouldn't you be asleep, pal?" Mark asked, startling Zero.

Zero stood up quickly and brushed the leaves off of the back of his pants. "H-hey, Mark. Didn't expect to see you this late at night." This was followed by a series of dry, hacking coughs as the teen reached into his backpack. He pulled out a small apparatus—an inhaler—and took a long, deep inhale. He released the air after a few moments.

Mark frowned. "Asthma?"

Zero shook his head. "I don't know what it is."

"Have you talked to a doctor about it?"

"Yeah. My doctor doesn't know either. He said it was safer if I went on a journey a bit later than normal, for my health, so my dad decided to follow that advice."

Two figures, covered by darkness, emerged from Zero's tent. The campfire illuminated their faces, revealing a Charmander and a Pikachu. Mark was surprised. "You already made it to Viridian Forest? Why would you backtrack?" he asked, gesturing at the Pikachu.

"Oh, I never got past Route 1, actually," Zero replied, picking up his Charmander. "This Pikachu came from Viridian Forest, and she's lost, so I'm helping her get home."

"What the hell, man?" Mark asked angrily, pointing at the little yellow mouse. "You're just gonna let a rare Pokémon go? Just like that? Why not catch it?"

"Um… She w-wants to go home…?" Zero stammered, twiddling his thumbs. His knees began to tremble slightly, and he sat down on the ground. His breath was shaky. "L-listen, it's getting late. If you want, I can lend you my extra tent. It may be a little patched up, though. I had to sew on some of the fabric that ripped after little Pikachu tore through it."

"Heh… thanks, man," Mark said, wincing. He would be slightly chilly that night, but he decided he didn't mind, as long as he got a place to rest.

.

The next morning, Zero woke up to raindrops slowly dripping from a small leak that had formed in the roof of his tent during the night. Braze was still sound asleep in his Poké Ball, but the little Pikachu was full of energy. She raced around outside, her cheeks sparkling. Zero chuckled and snuck over to Mark's tent to wish him a good morning.

To his surprise, Mark was already awake. He was standing in the rain, holding an umbrella with different forms of a Pokémon Zero had never seen before, so he went over to ask what it was.

"Oh, these?" Mark said, bringing his umbrella to Zero's eye level. "These are Castform. You've never seen one?"

Zero shook his head. "They're from Hoenn," Mark explained. "I got this umbrella from the Weather Institute while visiting with my dad. He bought it for me at the souvenir shop." Mark looked down at his feet and smiled, as if he was remembering a heartfelt moment. Zero couldn't help but smile as well.

"Well, should we get going?" Zero asked. His voice was hoarse from the lack of water he had during the night. He groaned quietly; he had forgotten his water bottle at home. Guess I'll have to buy one in Viridian, he thought bitterly.

"Yeah," Mark said. "Let's go."

The teens collected their belongings, dissembled the campfire and tents and gathered their Pokémon. They made it to Viridian City fairly quickly, which allowed Zero to buy himself a water bottle at the Pokémon Center. He was content with his choice; it was tall, with pictures of various Water-type Pokémon native to Kanto. It even came with a complimentary sleeve that had a painting of a Lapras on it.

Mark also took the time to register himself for the Pokémon League Challenge, which didn't really suit Zero. He politely passed up Mark's offer to help him register and decided to explore the city by himself while Mark finished his registration papers.

He passed by a large building with a Poké Ball symbol engraved into the top. The double doors were closed, and the lights were off. This looked like a Pokémon Gym. But why would it be closed in the middle of the day? That didn't make any sense to Zero. Pikachu was on his shoulder, and she must have sensed something sinister coming from the building, because she bared her teeth and growled. Zero walked away quickly before he and the Pikachu made too large of a scene.

As Zero turned to walk back to the Pokémon Center, he saw a tall man in a suit walking slowly toward him. Swarms of people surrounded the city, blocking Zero off from moving freely. He wanted to run, but with this many people around, he would risk getting lost. The man walked closer, and Zero's throat tightened. He had an eerie presence to him, like he could kill a man just by looking at him. But when he finally reached Zero, he looked down at him and smiled kindly. Not a large, goofy grin, but not a cold, menacing snarl either.

"Are you lost?" he asked in a deep, smooth voice that sent a chill down Zero's spine.

Zero didn't answer; his throat felt like it was in knots and his hands and forehead glistened with sweat. The man repeated his question. Zero finally replied with, "A little. B-but I think if I can get through the crowd, I can… uh…"

The man nodded in understanding. Zero then noticed a gold band on the man's ring finger. A ruby gemstone was fitted into an R-shaped cavity in the center, shimmering in the morning sunlight. The man saw Zero admiring it and slipped it off so he could examine it better.

It was a lovely ring, carved with a pattern that looked like dry, cracked ground. "Do you like it?" the man asked, snapping Zero out of his trance. "My personal jeweler made it." He then paused thoughtfully, thinking carefully about something, then abruptly took Zero's right hand, faced it palm upwards, placed the ring in it and wrapped Zero's fingers around it. Zero was speechless.

"I have many more of these," the man explained, curing Zero's curiosity. "You can keep it, if you'd like." He paused again, then opened his mouth to speak, but thought against it.

"Thank you…" Zero said, almost in a whisper.

"Of course, young man. The Gym is closed today, by the way. I saw you looking at it."

"Oh, no, I was just going to tell my friend there was one here. I'm not taking the Gym Challenge."

"Shame. You remind me of someone. Very intelligent. A good Trainer." He chuckled. "Had a way with words, too." He then waved briskly and walked away, leaving Zero alone in the sea of people.

As Zero made his way back to the Pokémon Center, he turned the ring over in his hand. It was cool to the touch, and the gemstone looked lovely in the gold band. He then saw some writing engraved on the inside—a name: Giovanni. Was this the name of the jeweler, or the man that gave him the ring? He slipped the ring onto his finger and decided not to think too much of the kind gesture.

Zero entered the Pokémon Center just as Mark finished registering for the League Challenge. "Thanks for waiting, Zero," Mark said. "Sorry about the wait."

"No worries," Zero replied. "I got to explore a bit. It was nice."

"The nurse told me there's a Gym here. Did you see it?"

Zero nodded. "It's closed today, though. Why don't we head to Pewter City? It's close, and Viridian Forest is on the way. I promised Pikachu she'd be home soon."

"Alright then," Mark said. He didn't look it, but Zero knew Mark was disappointed.

The two young men left the Pokémon Center. The few clouds that had been lazily floating in the sky were now gone, and only blue was above them. Route 2 was ahead, and then, the forest.

Pidgey, Rattata and Spearow flocked in the tall grass. Nidoran and Oddish slept in the bright sunlight. They seemed calm and happy. Zero noticed his new accessory glinting faintly in the sunlight. He decided not to tell Mark how he had gotten it. He bet Mark hadn't noticed, anyway.

Speaking of Mark, Zero saw him wading through the tall grass. He was in pursuit of a Pidgey that had attacked Tulip, how Mark had let out of her Poké Ball for some fresh air. The battle went fairly quickly and ended with the Pidgey captured.

"Score!" Mark exclaimed, holding the Poké Ball up like a trophy. "Now that's how you catch a Pokémon. Good work, Tulip!"

"You going to name it?" Zero asked.

"Hmmm… I don't know. Any ideas?"

"Falcon sounds cool."

"Then it's settled. Pidgey, your new name is Falcon!"

Mark let Falcon out of his Poké Ball to show him off to Zero and allow him to register him and Tulip into his PokéDex. Mark registered Braze and the Pikachu for himself, and then the group made their way across the first half of Route 2.

The dark forest loomed ahead. Zero never thought he would be back here so soon, and he knew the trail almost by heart at this point. "I can navigate it easily," he told Mark. "I came through here on my way to Pallet Town."

"Where are you from? Pewter City?" Mark asked, curious.

"Cinnabar Island, actually," Zero replied.

"Why didn't you just come to Pallet by boat?"

"The port was closed the day I set off, so my dad just had his friend take me back to Vermilion City with him. I'll introduce you when we get there, if you want."

"Sure. He sounds like a nice guy." Mark paused, then sighed. "If this is anything like the Petalburg Woods, there'll be bug Pokémon everywhere.

"Petalburg Woods?"

"They're in Hoenn. Don't worry about it." He sounded almost sad.

"You homesick?" Zero asked softly.

Mark blushed heavily. "N-no," he stammered. "I refuse to go back there. No questions."

The two silently walked into the forest, their Pokémon behind them. Pidgey hooted off in the distance, and Oddish ran past, chasing each other. Weedle happily chomped on leaves, and Caterpie nibbled on Oran Berries strewn about. Beedrill and Butterfree swarmed in the sky, and Kakuna and Metapod were patiently waiting in their hard shells to evolve. It was a peaceful place.

Pikachu, who had settled herself on Zero's shoulder, abruptly leapt off and dashed into the bushes. He jumped back, startled at the sudden movement, but then relaxed and smiled softly. He knew that Pikachu just wanted to be home, but he had gotten attached.

As he and Mark began walking on through the dense, thick trees, they heard another rustle in the bushes. Out jumped a little golden-yellow blur that headbutted Zero. He lost his balance and fell, the creature landing in his lap. It was the Pikachu! Had she decided to stay with Zero after all?

She squeaked happily and pushed a loose Poké Ball out of Zero's backpack. She rolled it to him, signifying she wanted to be captured.

"Are you sure?" Zero asked, shocked. He looked at Mark, who just shrugged, then at the Pikachu, who nodded and nuzzled the Poké Ball.

Zero smiled and tapped the button of the Poké Ball against Pikachu's little black nose. It shook once, twice, three times, then settled in Zero's hand. Pikachu was his. He released his unlikely new companion from her new home to get a good look at her. Braze was let out of his Ball as well so he could become accustomed to his new teammate.

"How does Glo sound?" Zero asked the little mouse. She squeaked happily, approving of her new name, and nuzzled his hand, the one with the ring on it. Static ran up the arm, causing the hairs on it to stand up. But this time, no pixels rose from it.

"How peculiar…" Zero whispered softly to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Vs. Brock! Onix, the Rock Snake Pokémon!

Mark and Zero made their way to Pewter City by dark. The sliver of a moon was low in the sky, and the Pokémon were growing quite tired. They decided to rest at a Pokémon Center, then head over to the Gym in the morning.

.

_Zero was standing in the middle of a large meadow of flowers, and in front of him was a metropolis. He recognized it as Celadon City, and he began to run toward it. Why was he here? He forgot where he had come from and where he was going, but it didn't matter. A city was ahead. He didn't know why he wanted to get there, though. He decided not to ask questions._

_It seemed that the longer he ran, the farther away the city became. He frowned in frustration. Why was it so far away? He kept running, but it didn't get any closer._

_Then Zero looked down. He saw that his feet had claws and were completely made of bone. His hands were large, bony scythes, and he could feel his head was just an almost-triangular skull. He began to feel sick, and his eyesight was leaving him._

_He soon knew why._

_Where his eyes were supposed to be, there were only sockets._

.

Zero woke up with a start, a cold sweat beading on his forehead and his hands shaking. He couldn't breathe, and his throat was tight. A fever dream. But why was he a skeleton? More importantly, an _inhuman_ skeleton. He subconsciously felt himself to make sure he was no longer made of solely bone, then began to calm down. He got out of bed quietly, trying not to wake Mark, then tiptoed to the bathroom to get a drink of water.

He noticed he had gone to bed with his new ring and wondered if that was what had caused the nightmare. "It couldn't have," he then whispered to himself. He was not usually one to believe in the supernatural.

When he reached the bathroom, he found that it was occupied. He sat against the wall and fiddled with the ring, waiting, watching the little R-shaped ruby glint in the light of the hall nightlights. Soon, the bathroom door opened, and out walked a tired, disgruntled Mark. He must've seen Zero out of the corner of his eye, because he jumped back, startled. Zero flinched as Mark shined a flashlight in his eyes.

"You okay?" he whispered. He lowered the flashlight.

"Yeah, are you?" Zero replied, getting up. He somehow still had that sick, queasy feeling left over from the nightmare, but he wasn't going to admit that.

"Just a dream," Mark muttered. "A bit disconcerting, but I'm fine."

"What kind of dream?"

"Well, I was back home, in Littleroot Town. But I didn't… look like myself. My family was acting weird. Then I woke up and kinda ran to the bathroom to make sure I was still me."

"I had a similar dream," Zero remarked. Something gurgled in his stomach, and he began to feel faint. He put his hand on the wall for balance. His knees gave way regardless, though.

Mark caught him as he stumbled forward. He frowned. "You sure don't look alright. Let's get you back to bed."

Zero decided not to argue. Mark took the trash can from the bathroom and had Zero hold it, just so he would have something to catch any vomit that came out. This was typical for Zero. Not so much the fever-dream thing, but sometimes his blood sugar would dip too low and he would pass out. He tried to stay hydrated, which usually combated this, but now that he was moving more, he needed larger amounts of water during the day.

Mark sat Zero down on his bed. The uncomfortable churning in Zero's stomach stopped, and his breathing returned to normal. He sighed in relief, then turned on the lamp next to his bed. Braze and Glo, who were sleeping on the floor by Zero's bed, woke up and snuggled into bed with him as he took a small paperback book out of his backpack.

"I don't think I'm going to go back to sleep," he told Mark. "Couldn't, anyway. It may be early in the morning, but once I'm awake, I can't really fall back asleep."

"Same here," Mark admitted. "Besides, it's five in the morning, anyways. I'm sure people come by this early. And leave."

"Nothing's open at this hour, though. Not even the Gym."

"I didn't think of that…"

"We could always train together. How about a quick sparring match?"

"You're on!"

The two boys sneaked downstairs, careful not to wake anybody up, and went out the back door of the Pewter City Pokémon Center. Out back was a good-sized battlefield where many people would battle each other in good weather. The sky was blood red, and the sun was rising in the distance.

"Glo, it's your turn! Show us what you can do!" Zero exclaimed, and Glo, who had been following close behind her Trainer, hopped to her side of the battlefield. For that moment, he felt just like Lt. Surge, and a wave of pride washed over him.

"Tulip! Let's go!" Mark exclaimed, releasing Tulip from her Poké Ball. "You get the first move, Zero!"

"Glo, use Tail Whip!" Zero commanded. Glo shook her tail in Tulip's face, making the Bulbasaur less wary and lowering her defense.

"Tackle, Tulip!" She snapped out of her trance and rammed Glo's side, causing the Pikachu to squeak and fall to the ground. She got up quickly, a little shaken by the sudden maneuver.

"Okay, Glo, Quick Attack!" Before Mark could make a move, Glo shot forward and headbutted Tulip, causing her to lose balance. She then began to shake, and sparks of electricity surrounded her. She was paralyzed from Glo's Static ability!

"Vine Whip!" Mark commanded, but Tulip was unable to move. Glo hit her with another Quick Attack, and she collapsed to the ground, having fainted.

Mark frowned and picked up his fainted Pokémon. "How come I can never win against you…?" he muttered.

"I'm sorry, Mark. Um… it was a good match, though, right? It was just sparring."

"Just sparring, that's funny." He paused. "Listen, Zero, if I can't win against you, how do you expect me to win against a Gym Leader? You have less experience than me as a Trainer."

"Believe it or not, Mark, I've been training all my life," Zero said softly. He and Mark then sat under a tree next to the battlefield so they could chat. "Remember what I told you back in Pallet Town, how I'm the son of a Gym Leader? I've been training to eventually take over his Gym. I've watched matches, and we've done mock battles together. I may be a new Trainer, and some of it might be beginner's luck, but I do have experience."

The two of them were silent for a moment, but then Mark spoke. "My dad is one of Hoenn's Pokémon professors, and he always pushed for me to be the best I could be. When I did the Gym Challenge there, I thought I could make it to the finals of the Pokémon League Tournament in Ever Grande, which would give me a chance to go against the Elite Four, and possibly the Champion. But… I lost. It was embarrassing, because it was my very first League battle. I almost gave up traveling altogether. So I started over. I gave my Pokémon to my dad to keep safe, and I jumped on a boat to Kanto. And that's why I'm here—to get over that loss, to bounce back, to shake it off. But I _can't_ , Zero. Not when people like _you_ beat me and remind me of my _failure_." Tears streaked his cheeks.

Zero didn't respond right away. He hadn't expected this to become a heart-to-heart. "I'm sorry, Mark," he said grimly. "But you can't give up, and you can't keep getting angry whenever you lose. It'll just cause you to beat yourself up, and low self-esteem affects your Pokémon, as well. If you feel like you can't win, they will too."

"Thanks man," Mark sighed, relaxing. Zero barely realized, but he had tensed up as well. He felt lightheaded again, but he ignored it.

"Let's head over to the Gym. It should be open by now," Zero said. He helped his friend off of the ground, and all of the Pokémon were returned to their Poké Balls. Zero then noticed Mark had an extra Poké Ball on his belt. "By the way, did you catch another Pokémon on the way here?"

"Oh yeah, I guess I didn't tell you about that. This is Honey, my Weedle. Caught her in Viridian Forest." He sent out a caterpillar-like creature, and she squeaked and rubbed up against Zero's outstretched hand.

"Aww, she's cute!" Zero said, giggling.

"Thanks," Mark replied, returning Honey to her Poké Ball. "Alright. Gym time!"

.

The Gym was open, like Zero had expected it to be now that it was later in the morning. Mark slammed open the doors and sauntered in confidently. He was ready, and a fire of passion burned deep within his dark eyes. He glanced at Zero, who was grinning, and the Gym Leader stepped down from his pedestal in the back of the Gym to greet the young men.

He was tall, with dark skin and muddy brown, spiky hair. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and Mark could see his rippling muscles underneath his skin. The only question was, did he train Rock types or Fighting types? Mark went with the former when he saw all of the Geodude and Onix ambling around.

"Hey, guys. Welcome to the Pewter City Gym," the teenaged Gym Leader said. "My name's Brock. Are you ready for a rockin' battle?"

"I sure am," Mark replied. Brock was intimidating for sure, but Mark knew he had an advantage with Tulip. He was still a little worried about the outcome, but he would use Tulip as his comeback if things looked bad.

Mark saw Zero step out from behind him and shake Brock's hand. "Good to see you again, Zero," Brock said. "You been busy?"

"Yeah," Zero responded. "My dad and I haven't gotten out of the gym much lately. How's your dad?"

"Pretty good. He and my siblings have been coming to watch more of my battles lately." He paused and took a glance at Mark, who realized he was slouching and adjusted his posture. "Who's your friend here, Zero?"

"My name's Mark," Mark responded before his friend could. "I'd like to have a battle with you, if that's alright."

"Fine with me." Brock shook Mark's hand as well, and the two made their way to the battlefield. Zero went to the stands to watch, Braze and Glo out of their Poké Balls to observe as well.

The referee stood on his platform, holding two flags at his side. "The battle between Brock of Pewter City and Mark of Littleroot Town will now begin!" he declared. "Both sides may use two Pokémon each! Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"

"Go, Geodude!" Brock shouted, releasing the buff rock from its Poké Ball. Geodude uttered a low growl and showed off its rocky muscles.

"Alright, Falcon! Time to battle!" Mark said. He threw Falcon's Poké Ball into the air, and out came the Pidgey. It cooed happily as it landed on the field. "You may be at a disadvantage Falcon, but I believe in you! You can do it!"

Brock laughed. "Using a Flying type in my Gym is kinda dumb. I hope you have a backup plan."

"Oh believe me, I do," Mark replied cockily. In reality, he didn't know if Falcon could hold on long enough for Tulip to finish off Brock's team. He decided that he had to keep up the bluff, so he kept a poker face and stuck with his choice. At least he hadn't sent out Honey. That would've been embarrassing.

"Battle begin!" the judge declared. The air in the Gym immediately became tense, thick enough to cut through with a knife. It was time to win.

"Okay Falcon, use Gust!" Mark commanded.

The Pidgey flapped its wings and flew into the air. Its wings beat faster and faster, until a tiny tornado formed in the space in front of it. Falcon then sent the twister toward the Geodude, who crossed its arms in front of its face to block the attack. The swirling air dispersed around the Geodude after hitting it. There wasn't a single scratch on the rock Pokémon.

"Geodude, use Tackle!" Brock called out. Geodude hurtled forwards toward poor Falcon. The little bird tried to dodge the attack, but was hit square in the wing. It fell to the ground, squawking in pain.

"Damn it," Mark cursed. "You okay, Falcon?"

The frail bird got up and stumbled forward, but he turned back toward his Trainer and cooed in affirmation that he was alright. Mark was relieved. "Alright then. Use Sand Attack!"

Falcon flew into the air once more, but Mark could tell it was struggling to stay up. It swooped down low and scooped a wingful of sand from the ground, then launched it into Geodude's face. The Geodude cried out as sand entered its eyes, and it flailed around pathetically as it attempted to regain its composure and eyesight. It wouldn't be able to aim its attacks as well, which was good for Mark and Falcon.

"Geodude, shake it off and use Tackle again!" Geodude, still blinded by the Sand Attack, tried to ram into Falcon again, but as Mark suspected, it had trouble hitting accurately. The attack missed Falcon this time, and the Pidgey was able to dodge it easily.

"Good job, Falcon! Use Gust again!" The Pidgey, still in the air, sent another min-tornado at Brock's Geodude. As it was still distracted by the sand, it couldn't see the Gust attack coming toward it. It was hit with the full force of the air, and it was knocked back. It fell to the ground. That had done more than Mark expected. Was that a critical hit?

It must have been, because Geodude did not get up again. "Geodude is unable to battle!" the judge declared, and Brock returned it to it's Poké Ball.

"You got lucky with that crit, Mark," Brock said. "But you won't be lucky when you face off against my next partner! Go, Onix!"

Brock's next Pokémon was a large rocky snake. It stood tall, staring down at the little Pidgey facing it. Its beady eyes peered down at the tiny bird, who was quaking in fear. Mark gulped. This wasn't going to turn out well for Falcon.

"Onix, use Rock Tomb!" Brock commanded.

This wasn't good. Rock Tomb was super effective against Pidgey. The Onix roared and hurled several rocks at Falcon. The tiny bird attempted to dodge the attack, but the rocks hit Falcon head-on. He let out a pained cry as he was knocked back. He slammed into the ground and did not get back up.

"Pidgey is unable to battle!" said the judge.

"Falcon! No!" Mark cried out. Zero stood up and rushed down to try to collect the bird from the battlefield, but Mark put out his hand.

"Wha…" Zero trailed off.

"No, Zero. I've gotta finish this. I'll take Falcon to the Pokémon Center when the battle is over."

"...Alright," Zero replied. He went back up to the bleachers to watch the remainder of the fight.

"Challenger Mark, please send out your next Pokémon!" the judge called out. Mark jumped. He had almost taken too long to call out his second Pokémon.

"Time for my trump card, Brock!" Mark taunted, flaunting Tulip's Poké Ball. He released the little Bulbasaur, and she chirped happily at her Trainer.

"A Bulbasaur!" Brock said, nodding. "So you did have a strategy up your sleeve after all!"

"You bet, Brock! Bring it on!"

"Alright then! Onix, use Tackle!'

"Vine Whip, Tulip!"

Both Pokémon ran toward each other, their attacks at the ready. The Onix was faster, however, and before Tulip could smack it with her vines, it rammed into her full-force. She yelped as she was knocked back, and she slammed into the ground hard. She got up, though, as she wasn't too badly injured. She then ran toward the Onix again, but it Tackled her once more, sending her flying again.

"This isn't good…" Mark thought aloud. "Tulip can't get a single hit in…"

"Don't give up, Mark!" Zero shouted from the stands. Mark looked up at him and saw he was smiling. "Remember what I said! Don't let your self-esteem get the best of you!"

Mark turned back toward the battlefield, and what he saw was not pretty. Tulip had fainted, her stocky little figure curled up in defeat. The Onix on the opposing side of the field roared in triumph, proud of its victory.

"Tulip!" Mark cried, rushing over to comfort his fallen partner. Tears welled up in his eyes as he cradled her in his arms.

"The battle is over! Bulbasaur is unable to continue! The winner is Brock of Pewter City!"

"I… I lost…" Mark said monotonously. "I can't believe it…"

"It was a good battle, though," Brock said, crossing over to Mark's side of the field to shake his hand again.

Mark swatted the Gym Leader's hand away. "I don't need your sympathy," he spat.

Brock understood Mark's frustration and didn't react to his apparent rudeness. "You should come back later this afternoon and try again if you're ready," he said. "Your Pidgey put up a good fight. Your Bulbasaur could use a little more training and self-confidence, though. She has a lot of potential, and it was a shame to see her defeated so easily."

"...Alright," Mark replied. "I'll be back later, and this time I'll beat your Onix."

"That's the spirit, Mark. Thanks for the battle."

"Thank you too, Brock." He motioned for Zero to come down from the bleachers, and he did after returning Braze and Glo to their Poké Balls. "Come on, Zero. Let's go to the Pokémon Center."

.

Zero and Mark, after healing Mark's Pokémon, spent the rest of the morning burning off the steam from the Gym battle by walking around town. Zero noticed a museum up ahead that he thought he would like to visit at some point. He smiled. He had always loved it when Blaine took him to museums, as it was a fun way for the two of them to bond.

He glanced at Mark, who was still fuming after his loss to Brock. "You doing okay, Mark?" Zero asked tenderly.

"No," Mark replied through gritted teeth. "I'm trying to formulate a more effective strategy for the rematch I plan on fighting this afternoon, so if you could shut the hell up for two seconds, I'd appreciate it."

"Mark… listen to me," Zero said curtly. Mark looked at him, confused at the sudden tone change. "You're strong enough to beat Brock, and so is Tulip. You just have to have more confidence in her and in yourself. You remembered what I had said too late, and that was your downfall in that battle. If you take it to heart right away and assure Tulip that she can win, then she _will_. Understand?"

Mark took a moment to process his friend's words, then chuckled and nodded. "Alright, bud. Thanks for the advice. I'll think on it."

"Awesome." Zero smiled. "You can do it, Mark. Just think about winning and you will."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This chapter includes somewhat graphic depictions of Zero's condition. If you're uncomfortable with descriptions of vomiting, reader discretion is highly advised.

Chapter 4: Fight at the Museum

"Are you going to come with me to watch my rematch against Brock?" Mark asked Zero. It was later in the day now, about mid-afternoon, and the two boys had just gone to a café to eat lunch. Mark had developed a new strategy during the meal, and he felt ready for his second battle against the Gym Leader.

"No, I don't think so," Zero said.

Mark's happy smile turned into a disappointed frown. "Aww, why not?"

"I'm going to check out the Pewter City Museum," Zero explained. "If I finish up there early I'll see if I can catch whatever remains of your match."

"Well, you'll be missing out! You won't be able to see my secret weapon in action!"

"Oho, and what would that be?"

Mark took one of the Poké Balls off of his belt and waved it in front of Zero's face. "This," he said simply, releasing the creature from its capsule. Out popped a golden-yellow cocoon Pokémon with a stern, almost angry look in its eyes. Zero recognized it as a Kakuna.

"Honey evolved?" Zero asked, reaching out to touch the Kakuna. It emitted a sharp hissing sound and lunged toward Zero, who yelped and reared back.

"Indeed she did!" Mark exclaimed proudly. "Turns out our PokéDexes have an experience share feature, and she gained enough experience from Falcon defeating Brock's Geodude that she evolved into a Kakuna! With Harden, she'll hopefully be able to raise her defense high enough to stall out Geodude with poison, and then Tulip can come in and defeat the Onix! It's ingenious!"

"That might actually work," Zero said, nodding. "The Geodude didn't seem to have any Rock-type moves to hit your Pidgey with, so if you use Poison Sting enough times you might just be able to poison it. And using Harden enough times will let you withstand its Tackle attacks!"

"Exactly my thought process!" Mark said. "Well then, I'd better get going before the Gym closes."

"And I'm going to go before the museum closes," Zero said. "See you later, Mark! Good luck!"

"Thanks, man! I'll definitely win this time!"

The two friends fist-bumped and prepared to leave the café. Mark rushed out the door, excited to re-battle Brock, but Zero stayed back for a few moments. He left a twenty-Poké note on the table as a tip for the waitress, then left for the museum.

.

"Brock!" Mark shouted, slamming the Gym doors open once again. "I'm ready for a rematch! Let's do this thing!"

"I knew you'd be back," Brock said calmly. He stepped down from his pedestal again and walked over to Mark. The two shook hands again. "So, you think you can beat me this time?"

"I know I can," Mark replied confidently.

"Well then. I wish you the best of luck." Brock smiled and went back over to his side of the battlefield.

The referee stood on the sidelines and held up his flags once more. "The rematch between Brock of Pewter City and Mark of Littleroot Town will now begin! Both Trainers may use two Pokémon each! Trainers, send out your Pokémon!"

"Alright, Geodude! Go!" Brock said, releasing the muscly Rock type again.

"Predictable," Mark muttered, his confidence rising. "Alright, secret weapon! Do your thing!" he yelled as he sent out Honey the Kakuna.

Brock burst out laughing. "First a Flying type, and now a Bug type? How's a Kakuna your secret weapon?" he taunted.

Mark smirked. "You'll see, Brock. Just watch."

"Battle, begin!" the referee declared, waving both flags downward. It was time.

"Geodude, use Tackle!" Brock commanded. Geodude responded immediately, launching itself forward to ram into Honey.

"Honey, use Harden!" Mark said, responding to his opponent's movements. Honey hardened her shell, raising her defense. It shined in the fluorescent lighting of the Gym.

The Tackle attack hit Honey head on. She hissed loudly in pain as it hit her, but the Harden definitely softened the blow. She stood up taller than she had before, bracing herself for another attack.

"Keep using Harden, Honey! Maximize that defense!" Mark cheered on. The Kakuna obeyed, continually hardening her exoskeleton. Brock had his Geodude keep attacking with Tackle, but each attack got weaker and weaker as Honey raised her defense higher and higher.

"So this _is_ a secret weapon," Brock mused. "Good strategy!"

"Thanks!" Mark replied. "You haven't seen the last of it, though! Honey, use Poison Sting!"

"Tackle, Geodude!"

Honey dodged the Tackle attack from the Geodude and sent a poisonous barb straight at it. It let out a low grumble as it was hit. The attack didn't seem to do much—after all, Poison Sting wasn't a powerful move to begin with, and Kakuna's attack power was quite pitiful—but Geodude looked to be almost ill after taking the blow. Mark's strategy had succeeded—Honey had poisoned the Geodude!

"Alright, Honey! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Mark cheered. Honey turned toward her Trainer and hissed happily, celebrating the praise she received from him. "Now we just have to win this, girl! Use Tackle!"

Tackle wasn't very effective against Geodude, as it was a Rock type, but it got some good chip damage in. The poison whittled it down further, and just as Mark said he would, he was able to use the poison to stall it out. Soon, Geodude had fallen to the ground, knocked out.

"Geodude is unable to battle!" the referee called out as Brock returned his fallen Pokémon to its Poké Ball.

"I'm impressed," Brock commended. "But can your Kakuna withstand my Onix's Rock Tomb?"

"We'll just have to see," Mark replied.

.

The Pewter Museum of Science—a place Zero hadn't visited since he was a child. He and his father used to go to the museum all the time when Zero was younger, but as of late, Blaine had been too busy with Gym challengers to spend time there with his son. Zero didn't mind, though; he knew how important the Gym was to Blaine. He was ecstatic to be back, and he was curious to see if there were any new exhibits.

"Hello, young man!" the curator said cheerfully as Zero entered through the automatic doors. "If you're here to explore the museum, that'll be fifty Poké."

"Alright," Zero said. He fumbled around in his bag for a moment and pulled out five ten-Poké bills, then handed them to the curator.

The curator nodded. "Enjoy your visit!" He then studied Zero closer and gasped. "Hold on, you're Blaine's boy, correct?"

"Uh, yeah, I am," Zero replied, alarmed that the curator remembered him. "My name's Zero."

"Ah, that's right," the curator said. "I remember you now. We have a lot of new exhibits you might enjoy. It's been a while since you came here. Where's your father?"

"He's at his Gym on Cinnabar Island. I'm out on my own. I just got my own Pokémon several days ago."

"How nice! Have you challenged the Pewter Gym? Y'know, following in your old man's footsteps?"

"Uh…" Zero was hesitant to let it out that he wasn't interested in the Gym Challenge. "No, I haven't gotten around to it yet," he fibbed.

"Rock types are a challenge for a Fire-type Trainer," the curator said, smiling. "I'm sure you'll figure out a strategy."

"W-well… I'm not a Fire-type Trainer…"

"But surely you are! Your father is!"

"Doesn't mean I'm gonna train them too…"

The curator saw that Zero was obviously uncomfortable and decided not to push the boy further. "Alright then," he said. "Enjoy the museum, Zero."

"Thanks."

Zero hurried away from the chatty curator as fast as he possibly could without it seeming rude. When he was sure he was out of eyeshot and earshot, he slumped against the wall and sighed. He felt nauseous again. It might just have been his social anxiety acting up, though, and not his more serious condition, so he disregarded the gurgling sensation in his stomach and started walking around the museum, taking in all of the exhibits.

Fossils were everywhere, sealed in glass cases and all with their own detailed descriptions of the ancient Pokémon they came from. Claw fossils from Anorith, a fossil native to Hoenn. A spiral-shaped fossil belonging to Kanto's Omanyte. An old amber housing DNA from an Aerodactyl, and four fossils from the Galar region. Zero made sure to read all of the blurbs on the plaques in front of the glass cases. Fossils were fascinating.

At the far end of the museum was a new exhibit that Zero was sure he'd never seen before: a room of full ancient Pokémon skeletons! Now this he had to see. There was no extra fee to get into the new exhibit, so he ran to the line as fast as he could so it wouldn't fill up before he had the chance to see it.

After a good ten minutes or so of waiting in line, Zero was in the room with the skeletons. There were only two in there, and for a good reason—they were _huge_.

A sudden realization—and a sudden sharp pain in Zero's stomach—then came.

Zero _did_ know what these skeletons were. Well, at least one of them.

The skeleton on the left side of the exhibit was a Kabutops skeleton.

The same skeleton Zero had become in the dream he had the night before.

The sick feeling in Zero's stomach traveled up his esophagus. Before he could react appropriately, vomit trickled down his front. He was sweating profusely. He could tell all eyes in the room were now on him rather than the skeletons, and he dashed out before he made even more of a scene. He made a beeline for the men's room, which was close… so close…

...Zero bumped into someone and they both came crashing to the ground. "Hey, watch it, kid!" said the man he had run into.

"S-sorry…" he replied hoarsely. He could barely stand up now. He wiped the vomit from his mouth and used the wall for balance as he got up.

He now had a better look at the man he had bumped into, but he was still too delirious to make him out fully. He was tall and slender, in a black uniform with a sort of strange, red symbol emblazoned on it. Zero's vision was so blurry from the sudden attack from his illness that he couldn't exactly see what the symbol was. The man also had a hat on, and underneath it was bright turquoise hair.

"You'd better be sorry," the man said snarkily. "Next time that happens, you're in for a thrashing." He then huffed and sauntered away.

Zero stood still for a moment, stunned at the sudden interaction. He then remembered that he was covered in vomit. _Oh, right_ , he thought. _I've gotta get to the restroom and clean myself up._

Luckily the restroom wasn't too much farther away, and he managed to get there without blacking out. He splashed some water on his face, clearing out his eyesight, then took a large swig of water from the bottle in his bag. He then took a wad of wet paper towels and started wiping the vomit from his shirt. _Gross…_ he thought.

To Zero, it was more the embarrassment of having an attack in public than actually dealing with it that was more important. "Why did it have to happen here…" Zero mused aloud. "And those skeletons… specifically the Kabutops… why did I turn into a Kabutops skeleton in my dream last night?" He knew he didn't have an answer to any of these questions. He wanted to forget about the whole thing, but it lingered in the back of his mind as he finished cleaning himself up.

Once he was satisfied, he flushed the vomit-covered paper towels down one of the toilets and exited the restroom, acting like nothing happened just in case anyone asked. He still smelled faintly of it, but he paid no attention to it. _Welp_ , he thought, sighing. _Looks like I know which exhibit I'm never going back to_.

An explosion then sounded in the distance, coming from the back of the museum near where the skeleton exhibit was. "For the love of Arceus…" Zero grumbled. He ran over to see what the commotion was.

A group of five or so people, all in the same black uniforms Zero recognized as the same uniform the man from earlier was wearing, were all coughing and fanning smoke from out of their faces. In their hands were bones from the skeletons and various fossils they had taken from their glass cases. Other museum patrons were gathered around, curious as to what these weirdos were doing here.

"Ah, dammit," the group's leader, the guy Zero had run into, cursed. "Our cover's blown. Let's split, gang!"

"Not so fast!" the curator yelled, startling the group of thugs. "Those fossils belong to the museum, not to you!"

"Oh yeah, old man? And what are you gonna do about it if we steal them?" one of the girls in the group sneered, a cocky smirk across her face.

"I'll call the police! I'll have you all arrested!"

"Aww, oh no, the police!" the leader taunted, grinning. "We're so scared!"

"G-good! You'd b-better be!" the curator replied. He was shaking and holding a Poké Ball, his thumb poised over the white button in the center.

The group's leader noticed this and took out his own Poké Ball, and the rest of his team followed suit. "So it's a Pokémon battle you want?" he said. "So be it! You'll regret the day you messed with Rocket Executive Proton! Zubat, go!"

The man—Proton, from what Zero gathered—sent out a small, blue, bat-like creature with no eyes and purple on the undersides of its wings and the insides of its ears. It let out a screech and perched itself on Proton's shoulder. Proton's lackeys sent out their own Pokémon as well—a couple of Rattata and Grimer.

"G-go, Omanyte!" the curator said, releasing the Pokémon from the Poké Ball he was holding. Out popped a blue creature with tentacles, protected by a spiral shell—the same Pokémon that the Helix Fossil had come from.

He snapped out of his trance. He needed to help out. "I'll fight too!" Zero cried, standing alongside the curator. "Go, Braze!"

The Charmander squeaked happily as he was released from his Ball. He then noticed the swarm of unusual Pokémon in front of him and let out another squeak, this time being one of fear. "Don't worry, buddy," Zero said, trying to reassure his partner. "It'll be fine. We can beat these chumps."

"Who are you calling _chumps_?" Proton sneered. He then got a better look at who was facing him and jumped, startled. "Hold on… you're that kid who ran into me earlier!"

"That's right," Zero said. He was gaining more confidence with each passing moment. "And you said that next time we saw each other, you'd give me a thrashing, right? Well, I've brought the fight to you, man. Let's do it!"

"Thanks for your help, Zero…" the old curator said, smiling.

"No problem," Zero replied. "Now let's beat this guy!"

.

"Alright, Onix! Show us what you've got!" Brock said, releasing his Onix from its Poké Ball. Mark braced himself. He was ready. The Onix let out its signature roar as it loomed over Honey. The Kakuna didn't flinch, however. She stood proudly, her hardened shell glimmering.

"Can you handle the Onix long enough to stall it out for a bit, Honey?" Mark asked. Honey turned to him as much as her stiff body was able to and nodded curtly, falling on her face because she could barely move.

Brock chuckled as the Kakuna picked herself back up. "That Kakuna being unable to move freely might just be another advantage for us," he said. "Shall we, then?"

"We shall," Mark replied as the referee signaled for the battle to continue. "Alright, Honey! Use Poison Sting continuously! Try to poison the Onix!"

"Don't let it hit you, Onix!" Brock responded. "Use Rock Tomb!"

Honey sent more poisonous barbs toward the Onix, who started hurling rocks at her. _This isn't good…_ Mark thought, clenching his teeth. _Honey can't move freely, especially after hardening her shell so much. She may be able to withstand a couple of hits, but she won't be able to dodge if need be._ The Onix dodged all of the barbs easily, but Honey wasn't so lucky. She soon became trapped within a wall of rocks.

"Honey!" Mark called, but there was no answer from within the rocks, not even a slight hiss. Tears welled up in Mark's eyes. Was his Pokémon okay? He couldn't tell.

Then, Mark and Brock saw something glowing from between the cracks in Honey's rocky prison. The rocks then crumbled as the glowing mass broke out and… flew? Mark couldn't exactly see what was inside of the glowing sphere that had suddenly appeared in front of him and his opponent, but he had an idea. His suspicions were confirmed when the light faded, revealing a bee-like creature hovering in the air.

Honey had evolved again!

"Great job, Honey!" Mark said. Honey turned to him and buzzed happily. "Do you think you can finish off the Onix?"

"Hmph, you think a Beedrill can beat my Onix?" Brock said, smirking. "How amusing. Let's see what you can do! Onix, use Rock Tomb!"

"Honey, Twineedle!" Mark said.

Honey was much faster than the Onix now that she had abandoned her tough outer shell, but she also still had the defense boosts that came with Harden. A few more rocks hit her, but more missed. The drills at the end of Honey's arms glowed as she prepared her Twineedle attack, and she jabbed twice at the Onix. It growled in pain as it was knocked back.

"Hold on," Mark mused. "That did a lot more damage than I thought it would… could this be…" He checked his PokéDex entry for Beedrill. He was right—this was Beedrill's Swarm ability! No wonder Twineedle did so much damage to the Onix! The Onix also seemed quite woozy after the hit: poison.

"You just keep getting luckier and luckier," Brock said. "But my Onix won't be so easily defeated! Use Rock Tomb again, Onix!"

Now that Mark knew Honey was in a pinch health-wise, he knew that she would have to be careful not to get hit by any more of those rocks, or she was done for. "Come on, Honey! Dodge them and use Twineedle again! You've got this!"

Honey prepared another Twineedle attack, but she wasn't fast enough to dodge the rocks this time. She hissed in pain, squeezing her shiny red eyes shut as she was knocked back by the large boulder. She slammed into the wall behind Mark and fell to the ground, fainted.

"Beedrill is unable to battle!" the referee shouted, holding up a flag. "Challenger Mark, send out your next Pokémon!"

Mark detached Tulip's Poké Ball from his utility belt, his finger hovering over the white button in the middle. However, before he could send her out, there was a large _crash_ as something large fell to the ground.

It was the Onix. The poison had taken it out.

Mark stood there, incredulous at what had just happened. He had… won? With only a Beedrill? Well, a Kakuna that had evolved into a Beedrill, but a bug Pokémon nonetheless.

"Onix is unable to battle! The winner is Mark of Littleroot Town!" the referee called, setting Mark's victory in stone.

He couldn't believe it. Unfortunately, Honey was down for the count and therefore could not celebrate the victory immediately, but Mark knew that once she had recovered from her injuries she would be extremely pleased with the battle's outcome. Brock chuckled and strode over to Mark. Something glimmered in his hand: a badge. He handed the little pin to Mark, who clipped it to the backpack slung over his shoulder.

"Congratulations, Mark," Brock said, grinning. "That was some battle. I've never seen a Kakuna evolve mid-battle before and take down my Onix like that! Astounding!"

"Th-thank you, Brock," Mark sputtered. He was too excited to form a more proper thank-you.

Brock could tell. "This is the Boulder Badge," he said. "It allows the move Flash to be used outside of battle, and it'll raise you're Pokémons' attack power." He paused, smiling. "Good luck on the rest of your journey. And tell Zero hi for me!"

"I will! Thanks for battling with me, Brock!"

"Of course. If you ever want another rematch, just let me know."

Mark chuckled. "Sure thing."

.

"Zubat, use Supersonic!" Proton commanded. The Zubat detached itself from its Trainer's shoulder and flew toward Braze, sending soundwaves at the little Charmander. They hit head-on, and the Charmander stumbled back, dazed.

Zero bit his lip. This wasn't good; Braze could risk hurting himself or the curator's Omanyte if he didn't snap out of his confusion soon. He rummaged around in his bag to see if he had any Full Heals or Persim Berries, but he hadn't bought any for the road. "Crap," he muttered. Braze just had to pull through until he collected himself.

Omanyte had the clear advantage in this battle, though, and the curator seemed confident that it could take out the Zubat. "Omanyte, use Ancient Power!" he said, pointing to the Zubat. Omanyte obeyed immediately, sending several levitating stones toward the tiny bat. It screeched in pain as it was hit, but it hadn't fainted. Zero was impressed; the curator must have been partnered with this Omanyte for a while, as Ancient Power was a move it could only learn at higher experience levels.

Then Omanyte started to glow. It wasn't an evolution glow, but a different kind. Red aura rose from it, and it grew more confident in its abilities. This was Ancient Power's side effect—it was able to raise all of its user's battle attributes, though this was a rare occurrence.

"Mr. Curator!" Zero yelled, catching the curator's attention. "Your Omanyte was powered up by that Ancient Power, yeah? Could you take care of the other Pokémon? I'll deal with Proton's Zubat."

"You sure, kid?" the curator asked.

"I'm sure. Don't worry about us."

The curator nodded and commanded his Omanyte to attack the horde of Rattata and Grimer. Now Zero just had to make sure his Charmander could defeat the Zubat without hitting itself in confusion.

"Braze, use Ember!" Zero said. The Charmander tottered forward, still dizzy from the Supersonic. Zero gulped. Was Braze going to follow through with the attack? Unluckily for both Trainer and Pokémon, instead of spitting a ball of fire at the Zubat, Braze fell flat on the tile floor.

Proton howled with laughter. "What a pathetic little creature! It can barely even stand after that Supersonic!"

Heat rushed to Zero's cheeks. "He can fight! Just… give him a minute…"

"Yeah right, like I'm gonna let it recover," Proton said, scoffing. "Zubat, use Wing Attack!"

"Braze, you have to get up! Dodge it!"

The Charmander was still confused. He slowly got up off of the ground, but was soon knocked back down from the force of Zubat's wing smacking him hard in the side. Braze let out a pained cry and fell backwards, now too dizzy to get up.

"Crap," Zero said. "Return, Braze. Glo, it's your turn!"

Zero recalled Braze into his Poké Ball, then sent out Glo. The Pikachu squeaked happily as she was released, and her cheeks sparked as she landed lightly on the floor.

"You may have an advantage, but my Zubat has more battle experience," Proton taunted. "Zubat, Leech Life!"

Zubat swooped low and bit into Glo's neck, draining energy from her. She squeaked and tried to shake off the little bat, but it didn't let go. Zero clenched his teeth. If this kept up, Glo would be drained of all of her health and wouldn't be able to continue battling.

Zero could feel his palms clamming up, and he felt lightheaded. _Dang it, not now_ , he thought. _I can't have an attack during a battle_. He stumbled backward a bit, but he could still stand, which was good enough for him. "G-Glo, use Thunder Shock!"

The Pikachu finally managed to detach the Zubat from her, and after flinging it across the room, her electric sacs sparkled with power. She unleashed it, hitting the Zubat hard. It emitted a bloodcurdling screech as it fell to the ground. It had fainted.

"Nice one, Glo!" Zero cheered.

Proton grumbled, returning his Zubat. "Koffing, let's go!" he shouted, releasing a round, purple Pokémon that was leaking toxic fumes from the holes all over its body. Zero covered his nose and mouth, knowing that if he inhaled these fumes, he would most definitely pass out.

Zero glanced at Glo, who was panting and about to fall over. _There's no way I can win this…_ he thought. His cheeks grew warmer, and he could feel his heart pounding hard in his chest. He couldn't breathe. _I've… I've gotta hang in there…_ he thought, but his vision began to blur.

"Vine Whip!" said a dull voice in the background. It was familiar… But before he could see who it was, Zero's vision gave way, and he slipped into the warm darkness of unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> Four chapters in! I hope you are all enjoying this fic, I'm having a lot of fun writing it. The first two and a half chapters of this were actually written a couple of years ago, but I didn't have the courage or the resources to post it. This has by far been my favorite chapter I've written. Let me know what you think! I'm also posting this on Fanfiction.net.
> 
> \- ShootingStarfruit


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Swindling Salesman

"Zero… Zero? Are you awake?"

"Ugh…" Zero's head was pounding. Where was he? What had happened?

He sat up groggily and realized he was in a Pokémon Center bed. Luckily for Zero, most Pokémon Centers in Kanto had services for human ailments and injuries, so he knew that he could always go there if he wasn't feeling his best. But last he remembered, he was at the Pewter City Museum. He must have passed out during the battle with Proton.

"Oh, thank Arceus, you're up."

Zero looked to his right. Mark was there, standing over him, tears in his worried eyes. "I thought you were dead, man! What happened?"

"I… I don't know," Zero said. As he said it, he immediately realized what had happened—after vomiting, he hadn't replenished his fluids enough and he had passed out from dehydration and low blood sugar. Perfect. Just what he needed. "Where are we, Mark?"

"The Pewter City Pokémon Center," Mark answered, handing Zero his water bottle. Zero took it and gulped almost the whole thing down in a matter of seconds, water splashing on his face and down his hospital gown. As he pulled the bottle away, he realized the water tasted strange.

"Uh, Mark, what exactly is in here?" Zero asked. He was more alert now that he'd had something to drink.

"Sugar water," Mark said, laughing. "What did you think it was?"

"I dunno…" Zero replied, chuckling weakly. Mark handed him a small capsule, which Zero realized was his medicine. How strange… he had taken it that morning…

Hold on.

"How long was I out?" Zero asked, taking the pill and chasing it down with the remainder of the sugar water.

"Half a day," Mark said. "It's morning now. The nurse told me to give this to you when you woke up."

"Thanks…"

"Of course."

There was silence for a few moments. Zero then remembered where he had last been, and what had transpired before he woke up in the Pokémon Center. "Whatever happened in the battle at the museum?" he asked.

"You mean with that weirdo with the blue hair?" Mark said. Zero nodded. "His Koffing used Smokescreen and then Self-Destruct, and when the smoke cleared, he and his goons were gone. I think they mentioned something about Mount Moon."

"That makes sense," Zero mused. "They were after the fossils at the museum, and they stole a few valuable ones. I think they're after the ones on the lowest floor of Mount Moon, too."

Mark bobbed his head in a slow nod, obviously thinking about something. He then snapped back and added, "One more thing. The curator said to tell you thanks for helping him out. He wanted me to give you this."

Zero craned his neck to see what Mark had in his hand. It was a Poké Ball. But it didn't look like the standard red-and-white one with a black band around the center and a white button in the middle. It was still white on the bottom, and in the middle was a black band and a white button. The top, however, was half blue and half gray, bisected by a jagged black line. In the middle of the top pattern was a yellow crescent moon. It was a Moon Ball, a rare type of Poké Ball only made by a few specific people in the world, the most prominent of these being Azalea Town's Kurt, the Poké Ball Master. Zero took the rare capsule and looked it over, letting out a sigh of awe.

"How did the curator get his hands on something so valuable?" Zero breathed.

"Dunno. But he thought you would like it." Mark paused and just stared at his friend. Zero was put off by it at first, but he realized Mark's eyes conveyed a sense of relief at the fact Zero was still alive. Zero smiled.

"So then," Mark continued, handing Zero his backpack. "Do you think you're ready to move on? We've gotta get to Mount Moon as soon as possible so those jerks don't get to the fossils."

"You want to take them on again? You sure?" Zero replied. He was contemplating whether or not he was stable enough to get up and get changed. He decided he was and stood up. The ground felt secure beneath him, so he assumed he was good to go. "I'm ready if you are, I guess."

"We've got to go there," Mark said. "That blue-haired punk said he wanted you to follow him."

"Oh really?" Zero wasn't convinced. He slipped on his jeans and took off his hospital gown, making sure the delicate IV in his arm was out before putting on his shirt.

Mark groaned. "You had to be there. Well, awake, in your case. Would I lie to you?"

"Don't know, I've only known you for a little less than a week."

"That's fair. But I definitely wouldn't! That jerk at the museum said that he liked the way you battled and wanted a rematch, so that obviously means you two are rivals now!"

"I… don't think that's how it works."

Mark scoffed. "Yeah, whatever. Let's go!"

Mark grabbed Zero's wrist and, without warning, yanked him across the hospital room and out the door with him. The startled Zero yelped and tried to put his backpack back on as Mark rushed him out the door, stumbling as they ran.

Soon they were outside, and Mark was dragging Zero along toward Route 3. "Hey Mark, don't you want to go back south and try the Viridian City Gym?" Zero asked. Viridian was much closer to Pewter than Cerulean City was, especially because Mount Moon was a challenging place for novice Trainers to traverse.

"No way," Mark replied. He let go of Zero's hand. "Route 3's the way to Mount Moon, yeah? That's where Proton and his goons said they were gonna go. I'm bringing you there so you can finish what you started."

"Wha—but I don't want to!" Zero exclaimed. "I told you I wasn't going to go after them!"

"Zero, come on," Mark said, sighing. "We've gotta do the right thing. Even if you don't want to fight, I'd like you to come with me."

Zero pondered this. "Fine, I'll come with. But I'm _not_ fighting Proton."

"That's okay with me," Mark said. "Ready?"

"Yeah."

.

Route 3 was a short little path, filled to the brim with common Pokémon you could find pretty much anywhere in Kanto: Rattata, Pidgey, Spearow, Nidoran… However, there were also a couple of Pokémon Zero hadn't registered to his PokéDex yet, like Jigglypuff and Mankey. These were much more elusive creatures, appearing much less frequently than the common Pokémon found on the route.

As Zero was distracted by a Jigglypuff he had encountered and was gathering data on, he felt something tugging at his pant leg. He quickly turned and saw that it was a small monkey Pokémon—a Mankey! However, this Mankey didn't look like the other ones he and Mark had seen on the route. While regular ones were a cream color, this one was a faint green. "Hey there, little guy," he said softly, smiling at the Mankey.

The Mankey let out a soft "Ook" in reply and yanked on Zero's jeans again. Its eyes glimmered as they landed on the Poké Balls on Zero's belt. "You want to see my Pokémon?" Zero asked. The Mankey nodded. Zero chuckled. "Alright, sure."

Zero released Braze and Glo from their Poké Balls to meet the green Mankey. The Charmander and Pikachu, slightly alarmed that the strange creature was not attacking them, approached it carefully. The Mankey walked up to Braze curiously. It plucked a wildflower from the grass and placed it on top of Braze's head. The Charmander squeaked, displeased and surprised at the sudden movement. He spun around in circles, waving his claws around as he tried to find the flower and shake it off. All the while the Mankey was ook-ing happily and clapping its hands, amused.

Glo was less cautious with the monkey. She let out a little spark from her cheeks, her way of saying hello. The Mankey turned and patted the Pikachu on the head. The two Pokémon then took turns booping each other on the nose. Zero couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, little Mankey," Zero said, grabbing the Mankey's attention. "You seem to like my partner Pokémon a lot. Do you want to come with me?"

The Mankey howled happily, running up to Zero and jumping into his arms. Zero took an empty Poké Ball from his bag and tapped the white button on the Mankey's head. It glowed bright white and entered the sphere. The ball shook once, twice, three times, then clicked. Mankey was caught!

Zero let his new friend out of its Poké Ball and checked his PokéDex to see what gender it was and what moves it knew. It was female, with the Vital Spirit ability. Zero grimaced. This could be a double-edged sword; she would never be able to fall asleep in battle, but it could also mean she would be restless at night time if Zero kept her out of her Poké Ball. She also had a full moveset, including a single Fighting-type move, Low Kick. That could be helpful for Pokémon much bigger than the scrappy little Mankey. Then, Zero noticed a tiny star next to the Mankey's entry in his PokéDex and gasped.

It was a shiny Mankey! No wonder she looked so different.

"I got lucky with you, little one," Zero said, smiling. "I think I know what to name you. How about Sage?"

The Mankey hooted, content with her new name. She reached out at Zero, grabbing the air with her tiny hands. Zero picked her up and she chittered happily. Apparently she had just wanted "upsies." Sage had barely even been Zero's Pokémon for five minutes and she was already attached.

"Hey Mark, look what I found!" he called. "It's pretty rare!" There was no response. "Mark?" Zero repeated, but Mark still did not answer. He turned around, sure that his friend was still in the patch of grass behind him pursuing a Spearow, but he wasn't. Mark must have gone forward without him.

"Huh," Zero mused. "Guess I've gotta go find him."

.

"This Pokémon's a real rare specimen! Only five hundred Poké! It's a great price for a great Pokémon!"

Mark was starting to get real annoyed at the salesman advertising his "rare specimen" in the Route 4 Pokémon Center. Mark hadn't even realized he had wandered into Route 4, whose beginning was attached to Route 3 and the entrance to Mount Moon. Since the mountain was ahead, and most likely where Proton's group was, Mark had decided to rest at the Pokémon Center to wait for Zero, who was still out. Mark admittedly hadn't noticed he left Zero behind and honestly felt guilty, but he didn't know the geography of the route that well and didn't feel like risking getting lost just to try to find his friend. Besides, he knew Zero would find him eventually, so it didn't really matter anyway. Sure, Zero would be a little pissed, but Mark could handle a chewing out.

"Take a gander at my fine Pokémon! It's one of the rarest, most powerful creatures in Kanto!"

Mark sighed and got up off of the bench he was sitting on, placing the magazine in his hands back on the rack. He walked over to the salesman and shoved five one-hundred-Poké notes into the guy's hand. "If I take your Pokémon, will you shut the hell up?" Mark asked.

"O-oh, well of course! Anything for a paying customer," said the salesman, handing Mark an all-white Poké Ball with a red band through the middle. It was a Premier Ball, presumably with a Pokémon inside. What a cheapskate. Premier Balls were given free with any purchase of ten Poké Balls at the Poké Mart. Just being handed one said so much about the man in front of Mark.

"Thanks," Mark grumbled. He walked away from the salesman who, as Mark had requested, immediately shut up. He watched as the man slinked out of the Pokémon Center, snickering with glee. _What an ass_ , Mark thought.

Mark may have been duped into buying a Pokémon for five hundred Poké, but he was happy to have peace and quiet again. He looked over the Premier Ball in his hands, contemplating whether or not he should see what was inside. Eventually, curiosity—and the immense boredom of waiting an hour or two for Zero to catch up—got the better of him, and he released his new Pokémon onto the tile floor of the Pokémon Center.

Mark's face fell, and he regretted his decision even more. His new fish-like partner landed on the floor and began flopping pathetically, gasping for air. He had paid five hundred Poké for a Magikarp. A freakin' Magikarp. Mark face-palmed and groaned. That was five hundred Poké he would never, _ever_ get back, unless he kept battling Trainers for money.

He did have to give the swindling salesman credit, though. The Magikarp was indeed rare; it was a pattern Mark had never seen before. Instead of being a red-orange color that Magikarp usually were, this one was mostly albino, except for its face, which was the familiar persimmon hue.

"You got lucky this time, Magikarp," Mark said, sighing. "If you weren't a rare pattern, you'd probably be released into the nearest lake by now. I think I'm gonna call you Peachy, if that's okay." The Magikarp didn't answer. It continued to flop around on the floor and gasp loudly for air. "Alright, then. I'll take that as a yes."

Mark whipped out his PokéDex to gather information on the Pokémon he was begrudgingly stuck with. It was a male Magikarp, which Mark hadn't expected because its whiskers were white. It must've been the albinism that caused the male's typically-golden whiskers to be white. It only knew one move: Splash. How useful.

As Mark contemplated his life choices, deciding that he regretted all of them, he heard the automatic doors to the Pokémon Center open. In walked Zero, who had an unfamiliar Pokémon latching on to his shoulders. It chittered gleefully, hugging its Trainer around the neck.

"There you are, Mark! I was looking for you!" Zero said, smiling. He didn't look the least bit angry, Mark observed, relieved. "Sorry I made you wait, I got caught up in researching the rare Pokémon on the route and stumbled across someone that wanted to come with me." He gestured to the Pokémon on his shoulders, which Mark could now see was a Mankey.

"Oh, cool!" Mark said, reaching out to the little monkey Pokémon. It glared at him and screeched, slashing at Mark's hand. "Agh!" he cried as the Mankey's sharp claws drew blood from his index finger. He sucked on it to stop the bleeding; luckily the wound was shallow and it stopped almost immediately. "What the heck?"

"I don't know either," Zero said, shrugging. "Sage seems to like me and my Pokémon alright, but she was hostile to every single Trainer and wild Pokémon I encountered on the way here."

"Sage, huh? Nice name. Suits her green color." Mark then realized what he said. "Hold on, green? Mankey isn't supposed to be green!"

"I know! Isn't that cool?" Zero said, excited. "She's what they call a shiny Pokémon! She's a different color than your average Mankey, and her fur is naturally glittery!" Mark leaned in closer to get a better look, and sure enough, there were small specks in the Pokémon's fur that caught the light and sparkled.

"That is cool," Mark replied. "I wasn't so lucky." He pointed frustratedly at the Magikarp flopping on the ground. "This is Peachy. I bought him from a salesman so he would shut his trap, so I guess I got duped, but he's honestly pretty cute, so I'm not complaining."

"Aww, hi there, little Magikarp," Zero cooed, touching the fish Pokémon. He stopped flopping and stared up at Zero with his beady black eyes, unblinking. Sage the Mankey stared back, then howled happily, deciding she liked the Magikarp.

"Well then," Zero said, standing back up. "Looks like we both got new friends on our way to beat Proton."

"I thought you didn't want to battle Proton?" Mark said.

"Now that I have Sage, I'm pretty confident that I can beat him," Zero said. "Ready Mark?"

Mark chuckled. "You betcha, my friend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> Meet Sage, Zero's Mankey, and Peachy, Mark's Magikarp! Sage is an absolute sweetheart, but only really to Zero. Peachy... is Peachy. Nothing much to say about a Magikarp. But his pattern is based off of the white mask pattern from Magikarp Jump!
> 
> Stay tuned for more!


	6. Fossil Fiasco

Mount Moon. It was definitely as tall and as dark as Zero had heard from his father. After leaving the Pokémon Center with both of their parties fully healed, Zero and Mark were ready to enter the cavernous mountain to take on Proton.

A memory resurfaced in Zero's mind. The man had a red emblem on his black uniform, but Zero had been too out of it to see what exactly it was as he was rushing to the museum restroom. But when he was somewhat recovered and fighting Proton alongside the curator, he saw the emblem more clearly. It was a bright red capital R, just like the gemstone on the ring placed on Zero's finger.

More questions arose. Who was the man who gave him the ring, exactly? Was he a member of this organization? Or was it just simply a coincidence that both the gem and the emblem were red capital R's? He looked down at his hand and admired the beautifully-crafted ring again. "I wish you could answer my questions…" he mumbled absentmindedly, watching it glint in the afternoon sunlight.

"Who're you talking to, Zero?" Mark asked. Zero jumped. He hadn't expected Mark to hear his ramblings.

"Oh, n-no one," Zero replied, shoving his hand into his jean pocket. He could ask more questions later, without Mark interfering.

Since Zero didn't have any Gym badges, it was up to Mark to light the cave, as it was too dark for the two boys to see much of anything. Mark had gotten the HM for Flash from the Poké Mart attached to Route 4's Pokémon Center while he was waiting for Zero to catch up, so he had taught the move to Tulip. He let the Bulbasaur out of her Poké Ball and instructed her to use the move to light up the cave. Her bulb shined bright, illuminating their surroundings.

A horde of Zubat screeched and flew away as the bright light filled up all of the nooks and crannies of the cavern. A few Geodude were floating around, throwing pebbles at each other either for fun or out of boredom. A singular Onix snaked through the back of the corridor, near the stairs to the first basement floor. Mark shuddered. A trio of Clefairy bounced around, welcoming the two teenagers through their incoherent singing and chanting. Then, Mark spotted something in the distance: something he wanted to capture.

Zero watched as Mark sneaked up on the small creature he was after. It was a Paras, a small orange bug with two mushrooms growing out of its back and shiny, bulbous black eyes. It shrieked as Mark approached it, shaking its mushrooms to release a yellow powder. Stun Spore.

Mark combated this by commanding Tulip to jump in front of the powder, which had the capability to paralyze whatever it came into contact with. Luckily, Grass-type Pokémon like Tulip were immune to the effects of the powder moves like Stun Spore and Poison Powder, so there was nothing to worry about when sending Tulip into battle against the Paras. Mark ordered Tulip to use Tackle a few times, enough to wear the Paras down to prepare for capture. Paras soon grew tired, and when it was on the verge of collapsing, Mark lobbed a Poké Ball at it. It shook once, twice, three times, then clicked.

Mark collected the Poké Ball and proudly showed it off to Zero. Sage, who was still on Zero's shoulders, hissed at Mark and swiped the Ball from him, jumping down from Zero's shoulders and scurrying to a corner of the room to play with her new toy.

"Hey, that's not yours, you stupid Mankey!" Mark yelled, his voice echoing off of the walls of the cavern. He ran over to Sage, stumbling over a rock or two on the way. He tried to pry the Poké Ball out of the Mankey's tiny hands, but unfortunately for Mark, she outclassed him in strength. She showed her prized possession to her Trainer, who just laughed.

"Zero, make her give it back," Mark said curtly through gritted teeth. "This Mankey's starting to piss me off."

"Come on, Sage," Zero said gently, reaching out to the green ball of fluff. "Give the Paras back to Mark."

Sage kept insisting on showing off her trophy. Zero sighed and plucked it from her hands. She didn't complain; in fact, she seemed to be glad that Zero took it, as she chittered with glee. Though, she looked utterly betrayed when Zero handed the Poké Ball back to its rightful owner. Her mood changed immediately, and she howled in discontent and stomped her feet on the hard, rocky ground of the cavern. She howled louder when she stubbed her toe on a rock, and she sat down along the wall and sulked until Zero picked her up again.

"Alright, Sage, I'm going to have to return you to your Poké Ball if you don't calm down," Zero warned as the Mankey climbed back up onto her perch on his shoulders.

"For the love of Arceus, return her now," Mark complained, dusting himself off and pocketing his new capture so the Mankey couldn't get her hands on it again. "She's crazy."

"She just doesn't like you right now," Zero said. "She'll warm up to you in due time."

"I guess…"

As the duo continued walking, with Tulip still lighting the way and Sage still sitting on Zero's shoulders, Mark came up with a name for his Paras, who he had discovered was male while flipping through his PokéDex. He named the little bug Pokémon Button, as Zero had described him as "cute as a button" while they were walking. Mark was also endeared to the name because it was a type of mushroom.

Then Mark held out his hand in front of Zero, who was trailing behind him. Zero stopped abruptly before he ran into Mark's arm. "Why'd you stop?" Zero asked.

"Ssh," Mark replied, glaring at Zero and placing his finger near his lips. He then pointed ahead and whispered, "Look. It's them."

Tulip's light didn't extend that far into the distance, so Zero had to squint to see what Mark was pointing at. Sure enough, it was Proton and his squad of losers. They were standing near the ladder leading to the first basement floor of the mountain.

"Where'd you say these fossils were, boss?" asked one of the goons, whose voice sounded male from what Zero could hear.

"Second basement floor," Proton replied. "What's the holdup? Go down that ladder already, you idiots!"

"We can't," said one of the girls, the same one that taunted the curator back at the museum. "Th-there's… there's an Onix down there."

"You dunderheads, send out your Pokémon and take it out!" Proton screamed, sending out his Koffing. "Koffing, use Self-Destruct!" he then commanded, and his Koffing approached whatever was below. Mark and Zero covered their ears as an explosion sounded, most likely the Koffing blowing up.

"...Well that's one way to do it," said another guy, whose voice was deeper than the other grunt who had spoken.

"Come on," Proton said, returning his Koffing. "Let's go."

"Hear that, Zero?" Mark said. "They're heading to the second basement floor. We've gotta follow them before they can get their hands on those fossils! We don't even know what they're doing with them!"

"Yeah," Zero replied.

They ran after the uniformed group and descended the ladder to the first basement floor. The floor was infested with Paras, and a few Onix were slithering about as well. Zero and Mark were careful not to step on any of the mushroom bugs, who skittered around wildly, afraid of the giants who had entered their territory.

They then found their way to the ladder leading to the second basement floor, where Proton had gone. Mark went down first, without hesitation. He was excited to battle these guys again. He got to the bottom and hopped off, scaring a few Clefairy who had gathered below. He looked up expectantly at the ladder, waiting for Zero to descend, but he did not follow. "Zero? You doing okay?" ...No answer. "Zero!" he called louder. Still no answer.

"For Arceus's sake, Zero, you could've just told me you were gonna wimp out," Mark grumbled. He turned to continue on to locate Proton, but before he took a single step he heard a muffled scream from the floor above.

Mark responded quickly, grabbing the glowing Tulip and scrambling back up the ladder one-handed. When he got to the top, he froze. A steel behemoth had Zero, Sage and Braze, who had apparently been called out to fight the thing, in a choke hold.

It was a Steelix.

Steelix didn't often occur naturally in the wild, and especially not in Kanto. Metal Coats were few and far between in the region, usually imported from Olivine City or Iron Island off the coast of Canalave. A Steelix in Mount Moon was a sight to behold.

"Mark!" Zero choked. He returned his Pokémon to their Balls to try to lessen the pressure on his throat, but the Steelix squeezed tighter to compensate.

"How the hell'd you find a Steelix?" Mark asked, sighing. His friend's luck was incredible on both sides of the spectrum.

"I… ran into… Proton's gang…" Zero managed to say. "They… used a Metal Coat on one… one of the wild Onix… it evolved and attacked us."

"Wait, we're ahead of Proton?"

"N-no, he went… he went down the ladder. His goons are up here. They're all passed out after… the attack."

Zero pointed weakly to four figures slumped against the wall, battered and bruised and covered in faint marks shaped like Steelix's tail. Mark grimaced.

"I… I wanted to help them," Zero continued. "But the Steelix knocked… my first-aid kit out of my hands… and it wrapped me and my Pokémon up in its tail… and here we are now." Zero screamed in pain as the Steelix continued to squeeze harder.

"Tulip, you may have lost to an Onix in the past, but if you had help from Button, do you think you two could take down the Steelix?" Mark asked his Bulbasaur. Tulip nodded, and Mark sent out his Paras to help out. The Steelix, distracted by it's new prey, released his hold on Zero. The boy dropped limply to the ground with a soft _thud_.

"That's right, ya big lug!" Mark taunted. "Fight me!"

The Steelix roared. It was an earsplitting, metallic noise, almost like nails on a chalkboard. Screech. Mark, Tulip and Button covered their ears. If Mark didn't do something fast, the two Pokémon would be defenseless. "Use Poison Powder, Button! And Vine Whip, Tulip!"

Mark's partners were able to hear his commands over the terrible screeching from the Steelix and attacked. Button shook his mushrooms to release the violet Poison Powder, and Tulip swung her vines wildly to attack the large steely snake. Then Mark realized his mistake. Steelix was a Steel type and couldn't be poisoned.

"Hold on Button, stop! Stop!" Mark called over the confusion. The Paras halted his attack and cocked its head. "Sorry, Button, I made a mistake. You alright with letting Tulip handle this herself?" Button nodded glumly and Mark returned him to his Poké Ball.

Mark then looked up again at Tulip, and what he saw shocked him. Tulip was shaking a bright green powder from her bulb, aimed at the Steelix. She had learned Sleep Powder! The Steelix's movements slowed as it grew drowsy, and it came crashing to the cavern floor as its eyes shut. Mark quietly collected his Pokémon and the fainted Zero and dragged them both down the ladder. Proton's lackeys could suck it.

Before going forward, Mark waited for Zero to wake up. Mark didn't really care if Proton found the fossils before they did at this point. Fortunately, it didn't take long for Zero to stir. He sat up and groaned, clutching his chest and trying to catch his breath.

"Hey, are you okay?" Mark asked tenderly, reaching over to his friend.

"I'm fine," Zero said. He stood up, wincing as he set an injured leg on the ground. "Proton's ahead. Let's go."

"O-okay," Mark replied, surprised at his friend's sudden curt tone.

The walk to the back chamber of the second basement floor was completely silent. Zero didn't take his Mankey out of her Poké Ball again, which Mark appreciated, and it was mostly why the trip was quiet. But Zero, who was usually chatty when he was excited, was dead silent. "Zero? You sure you're alright?"

"Fine," Zero replied. He took the lead down the path to the back of the cave. Mark had to run to keep up with his quickened pace.

"You're sure? You seem angry."

"Not angry, just… confused," Zero replied. He stopped. He then showed Mark the ring on his finger. It glittered faintly in the light from Tulip's bulb.

Mark whistled. "That thing's beautiful," he said. "I didn't notice that before. Did your dad give it to you?"

"No," Zero replied. "A man in Viridian City did." Zero slipped off the ring and flipped it so Mark could see the name "Giovanni" engraved on the inside. "I'm assuming this is his name, and that he's somehow involved with Proton. I've been quiet because I've been preparing to ask Proton who this guy is. Do you know him?"

Mark shook his head. "Not personally, no. I have heard of a man from Viridian named Giovanni, though. He used to be the Gym Leader. Now it's a guy named Blue."

"That's weird…" Zero said, fiddling with the ring. "I never knew who the Viridian Gym Leader was until Blue stepped up. My dad never introduced me to the old one because he didn't like him all that much. So… I guess that guy who gave me the ring was the old Gym Leader. He did seem to know a lot about the Gym, looking back." Zero sighed. "Well, I guess I'll try weaseling some answers about this Giovanni guy when we fight Proton."

"Good luck, Zero. I hope you find some answers."

"Thanks, Mark. I do too."

Finally they made it to the back chamber. Unsurprisingly, Proton was there. However, something had happened that Zero and Mark weren't expecting—he had already been defeated. A man with a Kabutops was standing over him and his fainted Pokémon, a triumphant smile across his face. Proton grumbled and returned his Pokémon.

"I see you can't handle even the simplest of retrieval missions, can you, Proton?" said a voice from the shadows.

Proton turned quickly, and a squeak of sheer terror escaped from his lips. He scrambled to return his fallen Pokémon, and the man with the Kabutops readied a second Poké Ball, on his guard. Zero quietly sent out Braze just in case he and Mark were pulled into the battle as well. "Wh-what are you doing here, Boss?" Proton asked nervously, his voice cracking.

"I came to check on you and your idiot teammates," said the voice. The owner of it stepped out of the murky darkness that was out of Tulip's range, and now Zero and Mark could see him better. He was tall and lanky, wearing a snazzy white suit with a red R on the left breast. He had turquoise hair like Proton did, but it was slightly darker and much shorter. He glared at his subordinate. "One of the girls in your group called me and told me that you went ahead and let all of them, plus a young boy, get clobbered by a Steelix that _you_ evolved. Honestly, Proton, I expected better from a Rocket Executive, even if he was a few rungs lower on the ladder than yours truly."

"I-I-I'm s-sorry, Executive Archer, sir," Proton stuttered. "I w-won't let it happen again!"

"Good," the man, Archer, said. "Because if it does, I might just have to demote you. Return to base. Gather your teammates first, though. They're still recovering from their injuries."

"Y-yes, sir." Proton scurried out of the chamber, not noticing Zero and Mark as he passed them.

Zero gulped. "If Proton's strong, that guy must be out of our league," he whispered.

Mark nodded. "Definitely. But if the Kabutops guy needs help we're gonna have to step in."

"We might as well now, since we're here."

"Good point." Mark chuckled lightly. "And you're the one who said you didn't want to fight."

"I said I didn't want to fight _Proton_ ," Zero corrected, smirking.

"Yeah, yeah," Mark replied dismissively. "Come on. Let's go."

Zero and Mark got up from their hidden positions behind a stalagmite and approached the man with the Kabutops. He turned and shrieked, but when he saw they weren't members of the strange organization, he relaxed. Archer tapped his foot impatiently as the three introduced themselves.

"We're here to help," Zero said, gesturing to his Charmander. "My name's Zero, and this is my friend Mark and his Bulbasaur, Tulip."

"'Sup," Mark said, waving.

"Thank you boys for your help," the man said, relieved. "My name's Daniel. I'm the son of the curator of the Pewter Museum. He's told me a lot about you two and said you might be on the way for backup." Daniel smiled. "I'm lucky you showed up when you did. If I lost these two fossils, the Churches of Helix and Dome would have my head!"

"Oho, would they now?" Archer said. Daniel had let down his guard. Archer plucked the two fossils from their pedestals and cackled.

"C-crap!" Daniel stuttered. "Kabutops, quick, get the fossils back!"

Archer threw a Poké Ball and out popped a large, light-brown rodent with large buck-teeth. The rodent Pokémon chittered angrily and bit Daniel's Kabutops, trapping the bug-like creature in its jaws. It shook the Kabutops violently, then slammed it into the cavern wall. It had been badly injured during the battle with Proton's Pokémon and promptly fainted as it sank to the ground.

"Well, looks like Proton did _something_ right," Archer commended, slow clapping as he returned his Raticate. "Tah-tah, losers. I have the fossils now!"

"Not so fast, dude!" Mark yelled. "Tulip, grab the fossils with Vine Whip!"

"Braze, distract that guy with Smokescreen!"

Braze and Tulip looked at each other and nodded, then obeyed their Trainers' commands. Braze hissed and released a cloud of smoke to surround Archer. As Archer coughed and tried to wave the smoke from his face, Tulip reached out with her vines and grabbed the Helix and Dome fossils, handing them back to Daniel. "Daniel, take the fossils and run," Zero said softly so Archer wouldn't hear. "Take them as far away as the churches will let you. Return them in a couple of days, if we don't run into you after we exit the cave and this guy's far from here. If we do happen to run into you, we'll let you know if it's safe to return them. You hear?"

"Y-yes," Daniel replied. "Thank you, boys. I promise I'll repay you one day."

"No need," Zero said, smiling. "I received a Moon Ball from your dad. That's payment enough."

Daniel smiled back, then clutched the fossils tightly, returned his Kabutops and escaped the bottom chamber. The smoke then cleared, revealing an extremely pissed-off Archer and two Pokémon in front of him. His Raticate, and a blue bat with purple ears and wings that looked almost like Zubat, but had eyes and a gaping mouth and was much, much bigger. A Golbat.

"Raticate, use Hyper Fang! Golbat, Supersonic!" Archer commanded through gritted teeth.

"Tulip, quick, use Sleep Powder on them both!"

"Braze, Ember! Hurry!"

Archer's Raticate shrieked as it chomped down hard on Tulip. The Bulbasaur cried out in pain as it began shaking her like it had the Kabutops before her, but she regained her composure and released a cloud of Sleep Powder from her bulb into the Raticate's mouth. It shrieked again, choking on the copious amounts of powder it had inhaled, then fell to the ground, convulsing in its deep slumber. Archer growled and returned it, knowing that it wouldn't be able to get back up in time to attempt to finish off the opposing Pokémon.

Braze spat a small ball of fire at the Golbat, who easily avoided it and emitted high-frequency soundwaves directed at the Charmander. After having battled a Zubat almost a day prior, Braze knew how to avoid the attack, and he jumped out of the way of the narrow soundwaves. Without another command, Braze jumped and latched on to the Golbat, raking its face with a Scratch. But this Scratch seemed to have more power behind it, and Braze glowed with a red aura for a few seconds after the attack. Braze had learned Metal Claw!

"Good job, Braze! Keep using Metal Claw!" Zero cheered, pumping his fist in the air. He winced; he was still badly injured from the surprise encounter with the Steelix. Braze obeyed, continuously digging his metallic claws into the Golbat's face.

"G-Golbat, use Wing Attack!" Archer was now flustered; his cheeks were bright red with the embarrassment of losing to two _children_. Golbat couldn't see due to its eyes being forced shut by its wounds, and it flailed around helplessly in the air instead of using Wing Attack like its Trainer had ordered. After one more attack from Braze, the Golbat screeched and fell to the ground. It had fainted.

Braze returned to Zero, squeaking happily. Zero patted him on the head and smiled. "Great job, buddy. I knew you could do it!"

The Charmander squeaked again, and then glowed with a blinding white light. Zero and Mark shut their eyes reflexively, but opened them a crack out of curiosity. As the light dissipated, Braze emerged. He was now larger and slightly thinner, his tail longer and the flame on the tip glowing brighter and bigger. His head now had a red spike protruding from the top, and his claws were more pronounced. He let out a roar and hugged his Trainer.

Braze was a Charmeleon!

"Braze, you evolved!" Zero marveled, picking up his new Charmeleon and spinning him around. "You were awesome out there, buddy!"

"Grrr," Archer grumbled. He returned his Golbat. "This isn't the last you'll see of me, you whelps! I'll be back!" He then spotted Zero's ring, which was illuminated by Braze's tail flame. "Wait, boy. Where did you get that ring?"

"Oh yeah, this thing, I totally forgot," Zero said, setting Braze down on the floor. He approached Archer cautiously, careful not to get too close, then showed him the ring. "What is it? And who's Giovanni?"

"So you know about him," Archer said pensively, his expression transforming from an angry scowl into a solemn frown. "He disappeared two years ago, and Team Rocket fell to near shambles. He was one of our most prominent members. Our ringleader, to be exact."

"The leader of Team Rocket?" Zero said. "I've heard of you guys, but… I've never actually had a run-in with you until I battled Proton at the Pewter Museum." He paused. "Is… is it true that Giovanni was a Gym Leader?"

"He was, but he stepped down to train and better himself," Archer replied. "Those rings… are part of a project he started, but didn't have the resources to finish. Well, he did finish it, mostly. But the results were too much for him to handle, so he scrapped it entirely." He then turned and started to walk toward the cave's exit. "I've said too much. I'm sure if you dig deep enough you'll find out what that gemstone means."

"Wait, there's more of those?" Mark asked.

"I told you, I've said too much," Archer replied, his voice regaining the curt, rude tone it had before. "I must be taking my leave. I'll find fossils elsewhere." He left hurriedly, exiting the cave.

"...Well, that was something," Mark said after a long pause. He looked at Zero, who was fiddling with his ring again. "You alright?"

"...I'm fine," Zero replied. Both boys returned their tired Pokémon. "It's just… I have even more questions now that I've had a chance to talk to someone who knows about the ring. I thought I'd get answers. I did! I definitely did. But those answers only brought more questions with them."

Mark nodded sympathetically. "I getcha. I get the feeling we'll find out more soon enough."

"I guess you're right." Zero smiled. "Now let's get out of here. Cerulean City, and your next Gym battle, should be ahead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> Braze evolved into Charmeleon! Archer and Daniel will be back eventually, though one sooner than you think. Also, Mark's second Gym Battle is coming up! Stay tuned for more. :)


	7. A Midnight Rendezvous

As Zero and Mark exited the treacherous Mount Moon, they saw that the sun had fully set, revealing a cloudless sky dotted with white stars. The rest of the short Route 4 remained, and they could see the twinkling lights of Cerulean City up ahead.

"Your choice, Mark," Zero said, unzipping his bag. "Camping or Pokémon Center?"

"Poké-Center, please," Mark groaned. He sank to his knees, happy to finally be out in the fresh air again. "I'm all achy from the Mount Moon shenanigans."

"How do you think I feel?" Zero replied dryly, chuckling. The chuckles transitioned into dry, hacking coughs. Zero fished through his bag frantically, finally finding what he had gone in there for in the first place, his inhaler. He shook it, then pressed the top as he breathed in the medicine. He exhaled after a few moments, wincing. His chest hurt, most likely from a broken rib or two.

"That's fair," Mark said. "Looks like there's a city up ahead."

"Precisely why I asked," Zero said. "That would be Cerulean City, home to the Gym Leader Misty. She's another good friend of mine, though she's slightly younger."

"Damn, how young can Gym Leaders be? Brock is our age!" The two boys began walking toward the city as they chatted.

"Eleven," Zero said. "In all of the regions except Alola, Gym Leaders have to be at least eleven years old to run a Gym, though it's often recommended that you're over eighteen. A few of the Gym Leaders in Kanto, like Brock and Misty, are younger. Brock is fifteen, Misty's thirteen."

"Why not Alola?"

"It doesn't have Gyms. Instead, Alola hosts Trials, and after completing all of the Trials on a specific island, you take on a Kahuna." Zero's explanation was interrupted by a cough. "Trial Captains can assume their positions at age eleven, but by law must retire before age twenty. It's mostly to provide variety to Trainers taking the Island Trials, but it's also to prevent abuse of power." He sighed. "Unfortunately, in all of the other regions, Gym Leader positions are kept for life, unless they're promoted to Elite Four or Champion status. This system often results in corruption or power abuse. Though, some Gym Leaders will host challenges and transfer power peacefully to the winner, and some choose to step down and choose a protégé to take over for them."

"I never knew that. That's pretty neat," Mark said, nodding. "Makes sense, in hindsight. When I was a kid, the old Gym Leader of Lavaridge Town stepped down and chose his granddaughter Flannery as his successor. I've heard he lives in Galar and is now a Leader there, but they're only rumors." Mark sighed, seemingly floating down the path. "Flannery… Gosh, I haven't seen her in ages."

"Sounds like someone has a crush," Zero teased, pinching his friend.

Mark's cheeks and ears turned bright Tamato-berry red. "I'll have y-you know it's not a crush," Mark spluttered. He quickly regained his composure and smiled proudly. "She's my girlfriend."

"Oh, really?" Zero asked skeptically, laughing.

Mark fished his phone out of his pocket and flicked through it. This was the first time Zero saw his friend's phone; it had a little face and spoke whenever Mark opened an app. A Rotom phone. Zero had never seen one up close before. Zero had his own cell phone, but it was a clunkier model from a few years ago and would barely hold a charge anymore. He would have to get a new one. There _was_ a store in Saffron… Tempting.

Finally Mark found what he was looking for and shoved the phone in Zero's face, snapping him out of his rambling thoughts. Sure enough, it was an old photo of Mark and a girl with bright-red hair adorned with a clip shaped like a flame. This was Flannery, the Lavaridge Town Gym Leader. They were at a carnival in a small port town, sharing a cotton candy shaped like a Swirlix. "Alright, I believe you," Zero said.

Mark laughed triumphantly and put his phone back in his pocket. The two continued on in comfortable silence, the mood lightened considerably from the solemnity and chaos of Mount Moon.

Ahead was a dark figure, huddling under a tree. The boys looked at each other, then rushed to it, eager to help. As they got closer, they found that they knew who it was.

"Daniel!" Mark exclaimed. The man looked up, fear in his baby-blue eyes, but he relaxed.

"Ah, you two," Daniel said. He stood up and released his Kabutops from its Poké Ball. It had recovered from its injuries and now looked perky and fit. It clashed its scythes together happily. A sudden chill went down Zero's spine as he remembered his nightmare, but he said nothing

Daniel smiled at the boys. "Thanks again for your help back in Mount Moon this afternoon. Did you manage to get rid of that Team Rocket guy?"

"Yup," Mark replied. He grinned. "We beat his Pokémon silly and he left with his tail between his legs!" He pumped his fist in the air triumphantly, bringing Zero's with it. Zero yelped and was sure he felt something pop, though he wasn't sure if it had popped out of place or in.

"I-I'm not sure that's how it went…" Zero wheezed.

"Either way, I'm grateful for your help," Daniel chuckled. "Is it safe to return the fossils?"

"It should be, yeah," Mark said. Zero nodded weakly in concurrence. Mark noticed and put Zero's arm down, remembering he was injured. Zero nodded a relieved thank-you.

"Wonderful! ...Are you boys sure you don't need anything? A lot of Trainers these days are strapped for cash and supplies."

"We're fine," Zero assured. "Thanks, though."

"Alright, if you're sure. I'll be heading back, then. Thanks again!" Daniel shook their hands.

Kabutops followed suit. Zero shrank away from the large Pokémon, and it cocked its head in confusion. _Why are you afraid?_ said a voice in Zero's mind. It wasn't his thoughts, though. As he was trying to determine where the voice came from, the Kabutops reached forward again, and that's when it hit him.

He _understood_ the Kabutops.

Zero took a few steps back, and dark spots infiltrated his vision. He muttered something incoherent and stumbled, and Mark caught him as he fell backwards.

Daniel had already gone ahead, paying little attention to the scene behind him. "Come on, Kabutops! Or should I say Slowpoke!" He laughed at his own joke.

Kabutops hesitated before returning to its Trainer. Distress shined in its beady black eyes. _I know you can hear me_ , it said in Zero's mind. _Why are you afraid?_

_"I… I don't know,"_ Zero said aloud. Well, he thought it was aloud. His voice had an eerie electrical quality to it, like static.

The Kabutops recoiled, put off by the response. It then looked down at the ring on Zero's finger and backed up further. _You… you are not human._ It shook its head and bounded off, not out of fear, but out of necessity, as Daniel called out for it again. However, it turned once again for a brief moment and casted another request to Zero's mind: _Meet me by Cerulean Cave at midnight_. Zero nodded weakly, and it returned the rest of the way to its Trainer, satisfied.

Zero's head was spinning. How could he understand Pokémon? That had never happened before, at least not that he could remember. He furrowed his brow in frustration. How come every time he had a question answered, more would arise?

"Zero, how'd you do that with your voice earlier?" Mark said, rousing Zero from his spiraling thoughts.

"What do you mean?" Zero asked, his voice ragged and hoarse, but not the same staticky tone it had taken on while he was "talking" to the Kabutops. He groped around the side of his backpack for the mesh pocket he held his water bottle in, but with his injuries he couldn't reach well. Mark grabbed it for him and he downed half of it. He then handed it back to Mark, who returned it to its mesh compartment.

"Your voice sounded… like buzzing, or electricity," Mark said, frowning. "Daniel didn't seem to hear anything out of the ordinary, but he was far away. That wasn't _your_ voice back there, but it was _coming_ from you."

"Weird… I heard it too," Zero said. "The Kabutops didn't like it. It said that I wasn't human…"

"You understood it?!"

"Somehow, yeah."

"Hmm…" Mark pondered. "Maybe it's just your weird illness acting up and you're delusional. Let's get to the Pokémon Center so we can rest." He waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure it's nothing."

"Yeah… It's nothing. Let's go," Zero said. He didn't much care for his friend's casual attitude, but he had no idea if it _was_ anything, so he said nothing.

The two boys made it to the Pokémon Center by half-past ten, checking in and then quietly making their way to a room to stay the night. Mark fell asleep immediately, and Zero laid down, his hands cupping his red-hot cheeks.

.

An hour later, Zero still couldn't sleep. The thought of being able to _understand_ a Pokémon was stressing him out, and what the Kabutops had told him didn't make it any better. What did it mean when it said Zero wasn't human? Of course he was human. He had always been.

But… the strange tone his voice took on. That wasn't normal, and certainly not human. Was that what the Kabutops meant?

Zero checked his cell phone every five minutes. Waiting for the clock to strike eleven forty-five so he could sneak out and get to Cerulean Cave on time was agonizing. He had even considered _not_ going, because he didn't exactly trust the Kabutops. But it seemed eager to speak to him again, and it would be rude to keep someone waiting, so Zero wasn't in a position to skip out. He clicked his phone on again. Eleven forty-three. Good enough.

Zero took Glo's Poké Ball and attached it to his belt, leaving Sage and Braze behind. With Glo, he would have a type advantage against the Kabutops if things got hairy. He had a strange feeling that they would.

He quietly left the room, shutting the door lightly behind him. He sneaked down into the lobby of the Cerulean City Pokémon Center, then out the door and into the lovely town. It was quite pretty at night, a few lights dotting the windows. Cerulean Cave was nearby, secluded and cut off by a river. It would be difficult to get there, but luckily the river was shallow.

_You don't need to cross,_ said a voice. Zero whipped around in panic. It was the Kabutops. _It would be cruel to make a human approach a treacherous cave like that one. It's said to house a powerful Pokémon._

_"I heard that somewhere too,"_ Zero said in the strange staticky voice. He shuddered.

The Kabutops reeled back as well, still wary of Zero's strange tone, but it was getting used to it. _I'm sorry I frightened you earlier._

_"It's okay. I just had a nightmare the other night."_

_About… my species?_

_"Sort of… I turned into a skeleton. A Kabutops skeleton, and when I saw it at the museum, my… I had to excuse myself from the room."_

_Your what?_

_"N-nothing."_

The Kabutops inched closer, closing its eyes and taking something in. It shuddered. _You don't smell good._

Confused, Zero lifted his arm gently, avoiding hurting himself further, and took a whiff of his armpit. He recoiled and put it down. _"Blunt, but accurate."_ He laughed.

Kabutops shook its scythes, flustered. _N-no, that's not what I meant. You smell sick._

_"Oh, yeah, that makes sense."_ He paused. _"My health hasn't… been the best. My whole life, I've been badly ill. No one can pinpoint what's wrong with me."_

_I'm so sorry…_

_"Why are you apologizing?"_

_I-I can't… I can't help you. I don't know anything about human sickness._

" _Help me?"_

_W-well… I have this… this_ thing _... it's almost a_ compulsion _to help anything in need, I guess_. The Kabutops was getting more flustered.

" _You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to,"_ Zero said gently.

The Kabutops shook its head. _It's fine. I'll share._ It took a deep breath. _Ever since I was a Kabuto, back thousands of years ago before I became the fossil Daniel restored, I wanted to help those around me. They were often afraid of my kind, as we were considered recluses and just all-around frightening creatures._

_As chief of my tribe of Kabuto, I was known as "Honorable Fighter who Listens to the Waves." We all had names like that, like "Fair Judge who Speaks with the Wind" and "Little Dancer who Sings with the Trees." Anyways, they named me that because I would swim out into the ocean to save drowning Pokémon. I just wanted to help, but after I saved them, they wouldn't look at me, talk to me… they wouldn't acknowledge me. Of course, I don't expect a reward for helping, but a little appreciation is nice._

_I asked you to come here because I want to help you, and save you from drowning._

_"What do you mean?"_

The Kabutops pointed to Zero's hand, the one with the ring on it. _People with those rings are doomed to a terrible fate. I've seen it myself._

Zero instinctively clutched his hand. _"Wh-what kind of fate?"_

_One worse than death. The Pokémon in that cave, the legendary one, had a ring just like that when I first met it. Daniel and I had come here thirteen years ago to gather supplies. The Pokémon stared at me from across the riverbank, and I stared back. Our gaze locked for a while, but then it shrank back, afraid. Not of me, but… of itself._

_I wanted to help. I wanted to help the poor thing so badly, but I couldn't. I didn't know how. Daniel and I came back the next day and it was gone. It had retreated back into its cave. I never saw it again, and neither did anyone else._

Zero absorbed the Kabutops' words. It then dawned on him what Kabutops considered a fate worse than death: eternal isolation. Zero shuddered. Even he was an introvert, but being cooped up just because you and everyone around you were afraid of your overwhelming potential was... agonizing. _"I know what you mean,"_ he replied simply and softly. _"I won't let myself drown. I'll learn to control whatever this is."_

Kabutops shook its head. _I don't want you to control it. Then you might not be able to talk to me, and then you won't be able to stand out as someone unique to the world._

_"Is that bad?"_

_Well… it depends. Maybe I've become selfish in my endeavors to help, and my desire to have someone who understands me. Or maybe you are afraid of being different. Either way, accept whatever abilities you have, and cast off that ring when you've accepted yourself. Promise me that. Promise me that you won't isolate yourself forever and drown in self-hate and self-pity._

It was a lot to take in, but Zero nodded anyway and put a hand to his heart. _"...I promise."_

_Thank you._ The Kabutops paused, its eyes no longer shining with fear. The shine was one of contentment and peace. _Honorable Fighter who Listens to the Waves is too long of a name to call me when we meet again. Would you like to call me something shorter?_

Zero hesitated. He wasn't too comfortable nicknaming another Trainer's Pokémon. But the Kabutops looked at him eagerly, so he caved. After a moment of thought, he replied, _"How about Bushido?"_

_What does… Bushido mean?_

_"It's an ancient code of honor used by warriors called samurai. Many of them lived in Johto and Sinnoh, but there were a few in what's now modern-day Kanto. I think it's fitting, considering your formal name."_

Kabutops thought for a moment, then nodded. _I like it. It sounds powerful._ Bushido approached Zero and pulled him into a hug, careful not to slice the boy with its scythes. Zero didn't shrink away this time. In fact, he reciprocated the embrace. He could feel happiness radiating from Bushido, which in turn made him happy as well.

_Thank you for meeting with me, Zero._ Zero gasped lightly. This was the first time Bushido had said his name.

_"I should be the one thanking you, Bushido. It'll take time, but… I'll try my best to accept whatever happens to me. I'll search for answers to my questions. Maybe that will help me understand myself better."_

_I'll be following from the shadows, then._

_"What about Daniel?"_

_Fuck Daniel,_ Bushido replied angrily. Its "voice" dripped with malice and contempt. Zero flinched; he hadn't expected the Kabutops to curse so violently. Bushido's gaze then softened slightly as it realized what it had said. _Pardon the profanity._ _Daniel may seem nice at first glance, but all he cares about is kissing up to the churches. He's never truly cared about me._

_"I'm… I'm sorry."_

Bushido relaxed, though hatred still filled its eyes. _There's no need to apologize. I'll see what I can do to truly escape him. I'd like to join you when you are stronger, so I can help you find the answers you seek._

_"...Thank you… If you're sure, that is."_

_Of course I'm sure. After all, I must look out for you if I'm to save you._ Bushido let go and waved a brief goodbye, then leapt into the shadows to return to Mount Moon.

Zero just stood there for a few moments, taking in the surreal experience. Bushido was a good Pokémon. Kind, caring, generous. Selfless, despite what he thought of himself. Still deep in thought, Zero felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He turned quickly, only to see nothing.

Then, a pair of glowing purple eyes stared back at him from the cave.

Zero squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, and when he looked back at the cavern, the eyes had disappeared. The addled teen chalked it up as him just being tired, so he decided to return to the Pokémon Center.

It was nearly one in the morning when he returned. He and Bushido had been speaking for almost an hour. Suddenly, Zero's body was filled with an overwhelming lethargy, and he shut his heavy eyes as he flopped onto the bed and fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> This chapter is very, very information heavy, sorry. The Gym battle is coming up next, so stay tuned for that! Also, I'm going to be switching to weekly uploads rather than every couple of days, just so I have more time to write and revise. :P


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